University of Houston Athletics
PREVIEW: Houston Volleyball Visits Tulsa, SMU
11/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
HOUSTON â€" Houston Volleyball hits the road this weekend for the second-to-last weekend of away matches of American Athletic Conference play.
The Cougars (16-10, 6-8 American) visit Tulsa on Friday for a match at 1 p.m. The match was moved up to accommodate a women's basketball game scheduled later that night in the Reynolds Center. On Sunday, Houston faces first place SMU inside Moody Coliseum at 1 p.m.
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QUICK HITS ON HOUSTON
« Houston Volleyball enters the weekend after splitting the week at home. The Cougars picked up a huge four-set win over UConn on Friday before dropping in three to Temple on Sunday. With the win, the Cougars snapped a six-match win streak for the Huskies.
« Senior libero Olivia O'Dell tallied 27 digs on the weekend, averaging 3.88 digs per set. She has totaled 565 digs on the season and jumps to 5th in school history.
« Freshman outside hitter Brookah Palmer recorded her 11th double-double of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs against UConn on Friday.
« In the first set of the weekend, Houston attackers hit .450 against the Huskies with 13 kills and only four errors. Redshirt freshman Chenelle Walker was a huge contributor as she posted a career high 14 kills, hitting .423 against UConn.
« Houston opened the 2015 season 10-2 heading into conference play. This is the best start since the 1989 season when the program opened 12-2 leading into Southwest Conference play.
« Houston posted a record of 13-3 after 16 matches for the first time since the 1994 season. The 1994 team went on the win the Southwest Conference regular season, the SWC tournament and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.
TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE
Tulsa (12-14, 7-7 American) enters the weekend after splitting with Cincinnati and Memphis last week. The Golden Hurricane defeated Cincy in five on the road but fell in four to the Tigers on Sunday. In the last meeting, Houston took a 2-0 lead into the half before dropping three straight to Tulsa.
• Series Record: Tulsa leads, 13-5
• Last Meeting: Sept. 27, 2015 - Tulsa 3, UH 2
SMU MUSTANGS
SMU (23-3, 13-1 American) enters the weekend on a 13-match win streak. The first place Mustangs' only conference loss came during the opening weekend when the Cougars swept SMU in Houston.
• Series Record: SMU leads, 14-12
• Last Meeting: Sept. 25, 2015 - UH 3, SMU 0
DIG IT OUT - OLIVIA O'DELL
Senior Olivia O'Dell continues to move up the Houston record books and national stat leaderboards for her single season and career numbers.
Earlier this season, O'Dell posted a record-breaking 32 digs in a three-set match vs. Cincinnati (Oct.18), tying the nation's best in that category. She also set a new school and conference record with 47 digs in a five-set win over Tulane (Oct. 7). She currently leads the nation for most digs in a single match (five sets).
For the season totals, she moved up to top 10 nationally in total digs and digs per set.
National Rank | Category | Conf. Rank |
8th | Digs per set (5.59) | 2nd |
10th | Total Digs (565) | 1st |
O'Dell has totaled 565 digs, averaging 5.59 digs per set. She moves into the top 5 in school history for digs in a single season and 6th for career digs.
She has tallied 20+digs in 14 matches and double-digit dig performances in 25 of the 26 matches this season. O'Dell has also reached 30+ digs in three matches and 40+ digs in one match this season.
SINGLE SEASON | ||
6th | Digs | 565 |
3rd | Digs Per Set | 5.59 |
CAREER | ||
6th | Digs | 1,431 |
9th | Digs Per Set | 3.14 |
Brookah Palmer
Freshman outside hitter Brookah Palmer has been a great six-rotation addition for the Cougars. She has posted 20+kills in five matches including one 30+ kill match, double-digit kills in 24 of the 26 matches and has recorded 11 double-doubles so far this season.
Palmer was named the first Offensive Player of the Week for the 2015 season following her outstanding opening weekend.
National Rank | Category | Conf. Rank |
39th | Aces Per Set (0.40) | 1st |
40th | Kills per set (4.15) | 1st |
28th | Points Per Set (4.77) | 1st |
29th | Service Aces (40) | 1st |
47th | Total Attacks (1,081) | 2nd |
31st | Total Kills (415) | 2nd |
22nd | Points (477.0) | 1st |
STAY CONNECTED
Follow Houston Volleyball on Twitter @UHCougarVB and "Like" /HoustonCougarVolleyball on Facebook. Houston Volleyball is now on Istagram as well, UHCougarVB.
SINGLE GAME TICKETS
With just four more home volleyball games, fans can still purchase to 2015-16 Shasta Pass for just $50. Cougar fans can purchase one Shasta Pass which allows season-long general admission entrance to all Houston Women's Basketball, Volleyball and Softball home games.
The Houston Fan Experience Headquarters is proud to offer the Shasta Pass for the 2015-16 athletic season. For just $50, Cougar fans can purchase one Shasta Pass, which allows season-long general admission entrance to all Houston Women's Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer and Softball home games.
The Shasta Pass offers Houston fans a substantial savings as single-game tickets start at $8 for all four sports. Fans can save $126 alone during the Houston Volleyball and Soccer seasons. To purchase a Shasta Pass, CLICK HERE.
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 Price at (713) 743-GOUH
