Temple’s Women’s Volleyball team has been playing exceptionally well since conference play has started. The Owls are coming off of two huge wins on October 27, and October 29. The team won both matches without dropping a single set. Exceptional team play has been coasting them through their winning streak. The winning streak is currently seven games long and the team has had no problem with any teams during this win streak. This winning streak and recent success could not have come at a better time, as the team is chasing Wichita State as the only team ahead of them in the AAC Women’s Volleyball standings.
Friday, October 27 vs. Houston, W 3-0
The Owls faced off against Houston on Friday, October 27, at home. They took this win without dropping a set to Houston. Temple out hit Houston .278 to Houston’s .184. The team did not trail at all during the first and third set, and everyone was doing their part to get the team their sixth straight win.
Kyra Coundourides continued her dominant senior year, with a great game on Friday, totaling for 42 assists and 12 digs in another double-double. Junior Mia Heirakuji had a great performance as well, with 13 digs to help the Owls defensive approach. Additionally, freshman Averi Salvador led the Owls in digs with 15, making that her career best. These women certainly dominated the court and all hit double digits in digs, helping the team outdig the Cougars, 61-55.
WIth the win, the Owls moved to a demanding 13-6 on the year, and 8-2 in conference play. Houston however, fell to 8-11 on the year and 4-7 within the conference.
Sunday, October 29 vs. Tulane, W 3-0
After the easy win on Friday night, the Owls returned to McGonigle Hall on Sunday afternoon at 1 pm, to face off against Tulane. The Owls took the first match between the schools on September 29, with a score of 3-1. The Owls improved on their game plan against Tulane this time around, as they did not drop a set in the showdown. The Owls won three sets to none, which led them to their tenth conference win of the season.
The Owls had another great turn out by Kyra Coundourides who had 36 assists and a team high 12 digs, giving her yet another double-double. She had help from redshirt freshman Dana Westfield, who hit .444 and had 13 kills. Izzy Rapacz had a double-double of her own, with 12 kills, 10 digs, and five blocks. Tulane could not handle the Owls in this game, but especially in the second set, where the Owls won 25-12. The Owls hit .500 in the set and Tulane just could not get their game established in the second set.
With this win, the Owls have won seven straight and move to 14-6 on the season. The Owls have not lost a game since October 6, and currently sit at 10-2 in AAC play. With the loss for Tulane, they drop to 13-12 on the season and 2-10 in the conference.
Weekend Star- Kyra Coundourides
Kyra played exceptionally well in both games and truly led the team to the weekend sweep. She had a double-double in both games and helped get everyone involved, with a total of 78 assists in the weekend. She has been having a great senior year, and she has been helping this team to victory recently. Her play has boosted everyones play and she certainly is one of the leaders of this team.
Looking Ahead
The Owls have two matches coming up that are both on the road. They travel to Dallas to play SMU on November 9, on a Thursday night, and then they will travel to Tulsa on November 11 for a Saturday afternoon match in Oklahoma. The Owls have played both of these teams once before. They beat both of the team’s 3-1. SMU currently has the same conference record as Temple, so this would be a great point to pull ahead of them. Tulsa currently is 11-13, and can be an easily won match for the Owls. Both matches are crucial wins for the team.
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