Thursday, December 5
Vermillion, SD
4:30 PM
Kansas City
vs
UNLV
Preview: Volleyball Opens NIVC Play Against UNLV
12/4/2019 6:03:00 PM | Volleyball
Roos Take on Rebels for Second Year in a Row
Season Highlights
- The Roos qualified to the Western Athletic Conference tournament as the three seed, defeating Seattle U before falling to Grand Canyon in the semifinals. It was the fourth time in program history that the Roos qualified to the WAC semis, having never advanced to the championship.
- Alicia Harrington caught fire during the WAC tournament, tying a career-high with 24 kills against Seattle U in the quarterfinals on .488 hitting. She followed that performance with a 21 kill outing against Grand Canyon. She is currently on a three match double-double streak, and leads the team with 13 on the season.
- Harrington has made her mark in the Kansas City history books, moving into second in program history in career kills with 1,368. Additionally, her career kills per set average of 3.28 is sixth in program history, and her mark of 404 kills this season is currently the eighth best in program history. With eight more kills, she would jump up to the five spot.
- Harrington raked in awards this season, earning a spot on the Mizzou Tigers Invite All-Tournament team in September, WAC Offensive Player of the Week for Nov. 4, All-WAC First Team, and WAC All-Tournament team.
- Ty Lukes, Melanie Brecka and Alli Schomers were all given spots on the All-WAC Second Team following great seasons. Lukes' .339 hitting percentage was the fifth best in the conference, and her career hitting percentage of .387 is the best in program history. Brecka followed up a stellar freshman campaign by averaging 3.23 kills per set, sixth in the WAC. Schomers earned WAC Setter of the Year honors by dishing out 10.39 dimes per set, best in the conference and the eighth best single season assists per set ratio in program history.
- Schomers has had one of the best seasons for a Kansas City setter in recent history, eclipsing the 30-assist mark in each of the team's last 21 matches. This has not been accomplished by a Roo since at least 2003, as far back as Kansas City's stats database goes.
- Alex Ratzlaff's mark of .35 aces per set was the fourth best in the WAC this season, and her career ace total of 89 is just four away from moving into a tie for tenth in program history.
Scouting the Rebels
- The Roos and Rebels meet for the second season in a row, having faced off in the Billikin Invitational in St. Louis last season. That matchup went five sets in favor of the Rebels, who hold a 3-0 record against Kansas City in the Roos' Division I era.
- The UNLV defense held the Roos to just .109 hitting in last year's match, compiling seven total blocks and 80 digs. Five different UNLV players eclipsed the double-digit digs mark.
- The Rebels are led in the attack by Mariena Hayden, who averaged 3.74 kills per set, a tie for the second best in the Mountain West. Hayden led the Rebels against the Roos last season, placing 19 kills on .204 hitting and adding 11 digs.
- Alicia Harrington and Melanie Brecka played the lead for Kansas City in last year's meeting, compiling 18 and 14 kills, respectively.Â
- The Rebels are an aggressive serving team, sending across a Mountain West-best 1.88 aces/set. Hayden led the conference with .65 aces/set, and Lauryn Burt was sixth with .34.
- This is the second year in a row that UNLV has qualified for the NIVC, advancing to the semifinals last year before falling to eventual-champion Iowa State.
Players Mentioned
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