Next Up: Volleyball Hosts Memphis and UAB
Nov 11, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 11, 2010
Conference USA Weekly Update (PDF) | Season Statistics (PDF)
11/12/2010 - 11/14/2010
Tulane Green Wave host Memphis Tigers/UAB Blazers
Start Times: 7:00 p.m. (Friday) and 1:00 p.m. (Sunday)
Arena: Fogelman Arena
Looking at the Green Wave
Tulane enters the weekend on a two match winning streak after picking up their first two road victories last weekend at UCF and UTEP. The Green Wave picked up their first true road win of the year at UCF, winning in five sets, and followed that with a sweep of UTEP. On the weekend, Cori Martone posted 23 kills and 16 blocks to become the first C-USA freshman to earn a weekly volleyball award.
Over their last six matches, the Olive and Blue are 4-2 - their best six match stretch of the season - and have won a pair of 3-0 decisions and claimed a pair of 3-2 victories. During that stretch, Izabela Grot paces the attack with 89 kills (3.71 kps) and Martone averages 2.42 kills per set, with 58 total. Lindsey Shepard (46), Milica Jovic (41) and Milena Dragovic (41) have all topped the 40-kill mark in the last six matches.
Grot ranks among the league leaders in three categories, sitting 11th in kills per set (3.19), 13th in points (345.0) and 19th in hitting percentage (.270). Lindsey Shepard sits ninth on the hitting percentage list in C-USA, attacking at a .320 clip, while Jovic is 17th among her league counterparts in kills per set (2.71).
Scouting the Blazers
The Blazers are 8-18 overall and sit at 5-9 in Conference USA play after splitting a pair of road matches in Houston last weekend. UAB dropped a 3-0 decision at Houston, but followed that with a 3-2 victory at Rice to close out the road trip.
UAB is led by sophomore middle blocker Sam Serley who leads the squad in hitting percentage, kills and blocks. Serley is hitting .316 on the season with 284 kills and only 87 errors, while also chipping 100 blocks (32 solo) in 97 sets played. Setter Allison Woods has handed out 777 helpers to go along with 18 service aces, 212 digs and 26 kills in 97 sets played.
Last weekend, Ally Slaughter led the way with 14 kills against Rice, while Michelle Uzoh chipped in 12 kills and Serley added 11. Kate Morrell and Jordan McDonald each had nine kills versus the Owls, while the Blazers held the Rice offense to just a .108 hitting percentage and had 18 blocks as a team. McDonald led the team at Houston with 14 kills and Morrell added 11 in the loss.
Scouting the Tigers
Memphis posted a 15-11 overall record and are 6-8 in Conference USA heading down the stretch. In their last eight matches, the Tigers are 4-4 with wins against Tulane and Houston at home, while defeating Rice and UTEP on the road.
Altrese Hawkins has paced the Tigers on the offensive end this season with 402 kills, while Marija Jovanovic has 302 and Vesna Jelic has 212 to account for the bulk of the Memphis kills. No other Tiger has more than 75 kills. Jelic has 40 service aces to lead Conference USA, while Hajnalka Molnar ranks eighth in C-USA with 897 kills.
Last weekend, Memphis took a five set decision at Rice before dropping a three-setter at Houston. At Houston, Jelic led all players with 12 kills and libero Christine Bach paced all players with 12 digs. In their five set win over the Owls, Hawkins posted 20 kills, Jovanovic added 17 and Jelic chipped in 11 kills and 20 digs.
--TulaneGreenWave.com--
