Houston Falls in Conference-Opener

Friday, September 21

Houston

7 p.m. CT

University of Houston

13-3, 0-1

Temple

4-9, 1-0

Temple

Houston

Photo by: Wilf Thorne/Wilf Thorne Photography

9/21/2018 10:57:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Strong defensive performance not enough

By: Ryan Levine

HOUSTON -- The University of Houston Volleyball team opened up American Athletic conference play on Friday night with an emotional 3-2 (20-25, 25-19, 25-19, 26-28, 13-15) loss to Temple.

After finding themselves ahead 2-1 in match play and 21-14 in the fourth set, the Cougars (13-, 0-1) were unable to seal the victory, as the Owls (4-9, 1-0) went on the win the contest.

GAME 1: HOUSTON 2, TEMPLE 3

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1
With neither team able to gain a significant edge on the other, it wasn't until the 23-17 mark that Houston found itself trailing by six as many as six. The Cougars found a way to close the gap to four, but the deficit proved to be too much to overcome as the Owls claimed the first set 25-20.

Set 2
In a back-and-forth set that saw 11 ties and seven lead changes, it was Houston bounced back from the opening-set and score seven of the final nine points to win the frame 25-19 and tie the match 1-1 at intermission. As a team, the Cougars defense recorded 6.0 blocks and 20 digs in the frame.

Set 3
The third set saw a mix between the Cougars' experienced veterans and talented youngsters, as senior middle blocker Chenelle Walker and freshman outside hitter Alexis Cheatum combined to record eight of the team's 14 kills in the set. After Houston began the set trailing 6-3, the Cougars went on a 5-0 run to claim a two-point, 8-7, lead. From there, the two squads hashed it out and kept tying the score, until Houston, took its final lead of the set at 14-13 and never looked back form the point, going on to win 25-19 and claim a 2-1 lead in the match.

Set 4
Houston tried everything it could to hold off a late surge from Temple, but the Owls' push was too much for the Cougars. Despite leading 21-14 in the set, a 9-2 run from Temple tied the score at 23. The Owls carried that momentum all the way to their 28-26 victory, forcing a fifth set.

Set 5
After the Cougars held a 6-3 advantage to begin the final set, another push from the Owls forced Houston to call its final timeout, as an 8-2 run from Temple gave them an 11-8 lead. Despite pulling to within just one point of Temple, the Cougars were unable to climb the ultimate hurdle, falling 15-13 in the set, sealing the match win for the Owls.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

The tightly contested match saw a total of 39 ties and 22 lead changes.
Two of the Cougars' three losses of the year have been in five sets.
Houston's 15.0 blocks as a team matches a season-best. The team's 92 digs is a season-high.
Four Cougars reached the 10-dig plateau for just the second time this season.
Three players recorded double-digit kills for Houston, the seventh occasion in which such a task has been accomplished this season.
For the fifth time this season, two Cougars recorded a double-double in the same match. Senior setter Katie Krebs marked her fourth of the year and sixth of her career with 23 assists and 11 digs, while sophomore setter Abby Irvine tallied the 14^th double-double of her career and fourth this season with 17 helpers and 11 digs.
Freshman outside hitter Alexis Cheatum set career-highs in kills (11), digs (5), blocks (3.5) and points (14.5).
Junior libero Katie Karbo set a season-high 32 digs in the match.

UP NEXT
Houston continues its homestand on Sunday, Sept. 21 when the Cougars host UConn at 11 a.m. inside the Athletics/Alumni Center.

Following the match with the Huskies, Houston will host the Flo Hyman Clinic, where young fans will have opportunity to receive a basic introduction to the sport from current Houston Volleyball players.

STAY CONNECTED
Follow Houston Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram at @UHCougarVB, and "Like" UHCougarVB on Facebook.

JOIN POINT HOUSTON CLUB
Fans can help support the Houston Volleyball program by joining the Point HOUSTON Club. To find out more information about the Point HOUSTON Club, visit UHCougars.com or call Cougar Pride at (713) 743-GoUH.

– UHCougars.com –