Thursday, November 14
Edinburg, Texas
7:00 PM
Kansas City
at
UTRGV
Preview: Volleyball Closes out Regular Season on the Road
11/14/2019 3:36:00 PM | Volleyball
Roos Set to Travel to UTRGV and NM State
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City volleyball team travels to UTRGV and New Mexico State this weekend, looking to close out the regular season on a high note.
Overview
- Kansas City has defeated its last four opponents, matching the longest winning streak of the season. A victory over UTRGV on Thursday would be the Roos' first five-match winning streak since defeating seven teams in a row over a stretch last season.
- Alicia Harrington was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week after a 16-kill performance against Chicago State on Oct. 4, and followed it up by errupting for 60 kills over her last three matches. This included a 24-kill performance against California Baptist, which tied her career-high.
- Alli Schomers set a career-high by dishing out 54 assists against California Baptist, besting her previous high of 53 set against Valpo earlier this season. Schomers has surpassed the 50 assist mark five times this season, and averages a WAC-best 10.4 assists per set. That mark is also good for the 50th best in Division I.
- Melanie Brecka has picked up her pace as the season reaches a close. She has reached double-digit kills in each of the past seven matches, including a career-high tying 20-kill performance against Utah Valley last week. In those seven matches, she is swinging at a .307 clip.
- The Roos stand in a tie for place in the WAC with just two regular season matches remaining. They would take the third seed into the conference tournament if the season ended today, needing two wins and a Grand Canyon loss to overtake the two spot.
UTRGV
- Kansas City used a balanced attack to defeat the Vaqueros in four sets earlier this year. Harrington led the team with 13 kills, followed by Brecka and Mykal Sadler with 12 and Ty Lukes with 9.
- The match was arguably Sadler's best of the year, finishing with a season-high tying 12 kills on .478 hitting and four block assists. In her career, Sadler averages 2.1 kills and 1.0 blocks per set against the Vaqueros.
- After dropping their last three matches, the Vaqueros stand one game ahead of Utah Valley and California Baptist for the fourth spot in the conference.
- UTRGV's Barbara Silva is one of the highest volume hitters in the WAC, leading the conference in total kills with 356. She does so effectively, as her .289 hitting percentage is the 10th best in the conference.
New Mexico State
- The Aggies had little trouble against the Roos in their Oct. 17 meeting, disposing of Kansas City in four sets. The Roos will try to break an 11-match losing streak against the Aggies on Saturday.
- NM State is on a tear, having won their last 15 matches and posting a 14-0 record in WAC play. They have already clinched the top seed in the conference tournament.
- Aggie middle Julianna Salanoa is the reigning WAC Offensive Player of the Week, her third POW honor this season, her first offensive honor. NM State leads the conference with five total WAC Players of the Week this season.
Players Mentioned
RS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MH
/ Volleyball
S
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