Press Release Courtesy UTSA:
Live Stream: ConferenceUSA.com
SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA volleyball team continues its Conference USA schedule this weekend when it hosts Middle Tennessee on Friday night before visiting UTEP in El Paso two days later. Friday’s match will start at 7 p.m. while Sunday’s tilt is set for a 12 p.m. first serve.
Fans can find live stats for the league matchup on the Roadrunner volleyball schedule at goUTSA.com and can stream the match live with a paid subscription to C-USA.tv.
The Roadrunners, who are coming off 3-0 victory over Marshall last weekend, enter their fourth weekend of C-USA action with back-to-back wins. Brianna McCulloch continues to lead the UTSA offense, tallying 248 kills (3.82 per set) to rank fourth in conference. Joining her on the list is Marijeta Runjic, who ranks eighth in conference this season with 230 kills (3.38 per set).
Setting up the offense is Amanda Gonzales, who sits sixth in Conference USA standings in assists with 686, dishing out 10.24 assists per set. Gonzales had a match-high 37 assists against Marshall and has five double-doubles this season.
The Roadrunner defense has been paced by Emily Ramirez with 210 digs (3.28 per set), ranking ninth in the league, and McCulloch with 163 (2.51 per set). Stopping UTSA opposing offenses is Kara Teal. Teal has notched 46 total blocks, seven of which are solo blocks.
Scouting Middle Tennessee (5-15, 1-5 C-USA)
Series: The Roadrunners currently lead the all-time series, 4-3. UTSA last defeated the Blue Raiders, 3-1, in Murfreesboro last season. In the conference meeting, 14 players saw action in the road contest, as Kara Teal recorded seven blocks and hit a season-high .778 on seven kills and nine swings. Meanwhile, Gonzales recorded just over half the team’s assists with 24 and notched her first double-double of the 2016 season with 10 digs.
Blue Raiders Notables: Last weekend, the Blue Raiders snapped a six-match losing streak with a five-set victory over Louisiana Tech on Fridaybefore being swept by FAU on Sunday. The win over the Lady Techsters accounts for Middle Tennessee’s lone C-USA win to this point. Prior to the six-match skid, the Blue Raiders had won four straight.
Regan Coughlin’s 180 kills on the year leads the team followed by Dora Peonia’s 169. Taylor Hammill leads with 610 assists on the year while Brienna Tankesley paces the defense with 219 digs.
SCOUTING UTEP (4-13, 1-3 C-USA)
Series: Sunday’s match will mark the second meeting between the Roadrunners and Miners this season. UTSA seized the first meeting 3-2 on Oct. 1 at the Convocation Center. The league match saw McCulloch and Runjic register double-doubles to fuel UTSA’s five-set (25-16, 25-17, 24-26, 17-25, 15-8) victory. Overall, UTEP holds a 21-17 lead in the all-time series, but UTSA has claimed the last eight matches.
Miner Notables:
UTEP is coming off a four-set loss to Charlotte on the road. The 49ers took the first two sets 25-10, 25-11, but the Miners rallied to take set three 25-23. Charlotte closed out the match with a 25-13 victory in the fourth frame. The Orange and Blue saw strong performances from Macey Austin, who notched 13 kills and the team’s only solo block, Kylie Baumgartner, who had eight kills at an impressive .545 clip and Sahara Martinez, who manned the assist duties with 26 helpers.
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