University of Houston Athletics
Volleyball Travels to Tulane For First Conference Road Match
9/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Houston Match Notes 
| Season Stats
| Gameday Central >> Houston at Tulane | ||
| Date | Wednesay, Oct. 1, 2014 | |
| Location | Devlin Fieldhouse New Orleans, La. | |
| Coverage | | Live Video  | |
| Gameday Central >> Houston vs. East Carolina | ||
| Date | Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014 | |
| Location | Athletics/Alumni Center Houston, Texas | |
| Coverage | | Live Video | |
| Social Media |    | |
HOUSTON - After a 1-1 weekend to start the American Athletic Conference play, the University of Houston Volleyball team travels for the first conference road contest of the season.
The Cougars travel to New Orleans, La., for a midweek match against Tulane Wednesday at 7 p.m. The squad returns to Houston Sunday for another conference match against former C-USA foe East Carolina.
Houston met both opponents during the 2012 season, the final season of C-USA for the Cougars.
TULANE GREENWAVES
Houston meets Tulane for a midweek match Wednesday at 7 p.m. in New Orleans, La. Tulane enters The American off a 28-4 season in C-USA. The Green Waves finished second place behind UTSA. The new team is full of sophomores and freshmen and started the 2014 season 2-12 and 0-2 after the first week of conference play.
Top players for the Waves are freshman right side Sarah Ray and sophomore outside Tea Juric. Ray is an all around player as she leads the team in kills (159, averaging 3.31 per set) and digs (109, averaging 2.27 per set). Juric returns for the Waves and was named to the conference Preseason Team.
Series Record: 27-10 (87-47)
Last meeting: Oct. 21, 2012 - Tulane 3, Houston 1
EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
Houston returns home for a match against East Carolina at 1 p.m. Prior to that match, the Pirates are scheduled to host N.C. Central Tuesday, Sept. 30 followed by a match at Tulane on Friday. East Carolina was off to a 6-2 start before entering conference play. The Pirates dropped 0-2 in the first week against UConn and Temple.
Sophomore outside Sydney Darden is the Pirates top returner. She has picked up 125 kills, 107 digs and 16 blocks in 10 matches played.
Series Record: 14-1 (81-45)
Last meeting: Oct. 12, 2012 - Houston 3, ECU 0
QUICK HITS
- Houston Volleyball lost its first five-set match of the season Friday night against Cincinnati. It was the first five-set loss at home since the Sept. 21 match vs. Baylor during the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup.
- Houston snapped Memphis' nine-game win streak on Sunday with its first conference win of the 2014 season.
- During Friday's match against Cincinnati, setter Destiny Patterson broke an American Athletic Conference record with 66 assists in a five set match. Her performance is tied for sixth all-time in school history.
- Senior right side Cortney Warren recorded her second and third consecutive 20-kill match of the season. She was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll for her performances this week.
UH Volleyball National Statistical Rankings | |
Assists per set (13.15) | 22nd |
Kills per set (14.13) | 20th |
Team Assists (723) | 45th |
Team Kills (777) | 37th |
LAST TIME OUT
Houston Volleyball went 1-1 in the first weekend of the 2014 American Athletic Conference season. The Cougars dropped the first five-set match of the season to conference rivals Cincinnati before taking a `W' against Memphis in four sets.
Houston (9-5, 1-1 The American) held the Tigers (11-5, 1-1 The American) to a hitting average below .100 in two of the four sets.
Houston finished with a season high of 12.0 blocks.
Senior right side Cortney Warren finished the night with her third consecutive 20+kill performance of the season. She knocked 25 kills (.333 hitting pct.) against Memphis and put up four boards for the Cougar Defense.
Friday night's match against Cincinnati marks the first of the season the Cougars have lost when playing five sets.
Junior setter Destiny Patterson recorded her fourth double-double of her career, second of the season, as she notched an American Athletic Conference record of 66 assists and 11 digs. With her performance tonight, Patterson is sixth in school history for the most assists in a match.
In her first collegiate start, freshman Sarah Afflerbaugh was one kill away from a double-double as she recorded nine kills (hitting .229), 11 digs and three blocks.
KADI `KILLER'KANN
Senior outside hitter Kadi Kullerkann put up 45 total kills this weekend in the first week of conference play, averaging 5.00 kills per set. She now has collected 273 kills through 14 matches and a hitting average of .317.
Kullerkann has made a name for herself in the national rankings and leads every category among the conference.
National Rank | Category | Conference Rank |
7th | Kills/Set (4.96) | 1st |
--- | Attacks/Set (11.52) | 1st |
10th | Points/Set (5.19) | 1st |
5th | Total Kills (273) | 1st |
--- | Total Points (285.5) | 1st |
CHART CLIMBERS: Natalie Keck
Senior libero Natalie Keck recorded 47 total digs this weekend averaging 5.22 digs per set. She has notched 277 digs so far this season, adding toward her 1,729-career dig total. The Louisville, Ky., native still stands in sole possession of third place in the school record books and is 187 digs away from jumping Amanda Carson (2007-10) for the second most career digs.
In 13 of the 14 matches played this season, Keck has recorded double-digit digs. She has notched 20 or more digs in eight of the 14 matches including the last three matches.
Keck has also made a name for herself in the national rankings this season alongside teammate Kullerkann.
National Rank | Category | Conference Rank |
25th | Digs/Set (5.04) | 2nd |
33rd | Total Digs (277) | 2nd |
STAY CONNECTED
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