| Nov. 4, 2004
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907
Roadrunners hit the road for SLC matches at Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls State Complete Release
Live Stats (Friday night only - courtesy of www.lionsports.net)
Listen Live (Saturday match only) SAN ANTONIO - The Texas-San Antonio volleyball team will hit the road for a pair of Southland Conference matches this weekend. The Roadrunners, 13-13 overall and 9-6 in the league, play at Southeastern Louisiana on Friday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. at University Center. UTSA then meets Nicholls State on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Stopher Gym. The Roadrunners beat the Lady Lions in their first meeting on Oct. 1, 3-1, but lost to Nicholls State on Oct. 2, 0-3. UTSA Roadrunners (13-13, 9-6 SLC)
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Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions (14-12, 6-9 SLC) Friday, Nov. 5 • 7 p.m.
University Center (7,500) • Hammond, La. UTSA Roadrunners (13-13, 9-6 SLC)
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Nicholls State Colonels (8-13, 8-7 SLC)* Saturday, Nov. 6 • 2 p.m.
Stopher Gym (3,800) • Thibodaux, La.
* Nicholls State plays Texas State Friday UTSA vs. Southeastern Louisiana History
Series Record: UTSA leads, 11-4
Last meeting: Oct. 1, 2004 - San Antonio, Texas
UTSA won, 3-1 (30-22, 26-30, 30-26, 30-23
UTSA vs. Nicholls State History
Series Record: UTSA leads, 16-8
Last meeting: Oct. 2, 2004 - San Antonio, Texas
Nicholls State won, 3-0 (30-26, 30-28 , 30-24)
Scouting Southeastern Louisiana
The Lady Lions are 14-12 overall and 6-9 in the Southland Conference. Southeastern Louisiana defetaed Jackson State in three games in its last outing Monday night. Ashley Rougeou (260 kills), Juliana Neves (243 kills) and Keri Hamblin (234 kills) provide a three-pronged attack for the Lady Lions, while Jill Edwards averages 9.37 assists per game and Brittany Gaydos posts 5.40 digs per game.
Scouting Nicholls State
The Colonels are 8-13 overall and 8-7 in the SLC. Nicholls State won a pair of league matches last weekend over Louisiana-Monroe (3--1) and Northwestern State (3-0). Atina Porter leads the attack with 4.44 kills per game, while Joana Garboggini averages 11.42 assists per game. KaLeigh Butler owns a team-high 48 blocks.
Week-In-Review
The Roadrunners dropped a pair of home matches last weekend and are now 13-13 overall and 9-6 in the Southland Conference. On Saturday, Stephen F. Austin swept UTSA, 30-21, 30-24, 31-29. The Roadrunners took Baylor too five games on Sunday, eventually falling, 217-30, 26-30, 30-27, 30-23, 10-15. Sophomore Meagan Daniel posted a career-high 26 kills to go along with 14 digs for her 15th double-double of the season. Junior Jennifer Emelogu and sophomore Connie Picard added 19 kills apiece and sophomore DeeDee Strickland turned in a match-high 62 asssts. Junior Julia Hunter and sophomore Erin McMillan led five Roadrunners in double-digit digs with 24 and 21, respectively.
UTSA Tidbits
UTSA has played three games in 16 of its 26 matches this season, posting a 9-7 record … the Roadrunners are 3-2 in four-game matches … UTSA is 1-4 in five-gamers … the Roadrunners have won game three in eight of their last nine matches and are 12-4 when they win that frame … Meagan Daniel has 15 double-doubles this season, including 10 in 15 conference matches and 14 in the last 19 matches overall … DeeDee Strickland has posted 11 double-doubles, eight in her last 11 outings … Erin McMillan has turned in double-digit digs in 23 of her last 24 matches, including nine with 20-plus digs and four with at least 30 … Jennifer Emelogu has been on fire since the middle of October, posting 78 kills and 27 blocks in the last eight matches … Brittany Hildebrand has recorded 10 of her 13 service aces in the last seven matches … … Connie Picard is hitting a team-high .301 over the past 10 matches with 3.59 kills per game … head coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff needs four just wins to reach 300 for her career.
Super Sophomores
A quintet of sophomores has played a large role in UTSA’s success this season. Meagan Daniel, Brittany Hildebrand, Erin McMillan, Connie Picard and DeeDee Strickland all gained valuable experience as true freshmen in 2003, leading the Roadrunners to a 19-14 record and an appearance in the Southland Conference Tournament semifinal. Daniel, the 2003 SLC Freshman of the Year and a first team selection, and Hildebrand, an honorable mention all-league pick last year, have paced the outside attack, posting 338 (3.63/game) and 292 (3.36/game) kills, respectively. Picard, a 2003 All-SLC Tournament choice, has been solid in the middle, averaging 3.08 kills (283) and 1.03 blocks (95) per game. McMillan, an honorable mention pick last year, leads the defense from her libero position, posting a team-high 452 digs (4.86/game) while pitching in with 28 service aces. Strickland, a third-team All-SLC setter last year and a preseason second-team selection this year, has registered 1,100 assists (11.83/game), 37 kills, 30 blocks and 24 aces. SLC Accolades
UTSA players have earned Southland Conference Player of the Week accolades three times this season. On Sept. 20, Erin McMillan was named Defensive Player of the Week after posting 34 digs (5.67 dpg), five assists and two service aces in helping the Roadrunners sweep Lamar and McNeese State. McMillan and Meagan Daniel swept league honors on Oct. 4 as UTSA went 2-1 for the week. McMillan registered 51 digs (5.10 dpg), while Daniel posted three double-doubles.
Climbing The Charts
A trio of sophomores is on its way up the UTSA career and single-season charts. Meagan Daniel has tallied 857 career kills, placing her ninth on the career list. She needs 247 kills to catch Charlsie Heifrin for eighth place (1,104). Daniel also entered 2004 with 1,508 total attacks, the school single-season record, and already has added 965 to increase her total to 2,473 which ranks eighth. Daniel needs 189 total attacks to catch Charlsie Heifrin (2,662) for seventh place. DeeDee Strickland posted 1,494 assists as a freshman, the third-best season on UTSA record, and has added 1,100 this year to up her total to 2,594 which ranks fifth all-time. Strickland needs 166 assists to tie Tobi Irish (2,760) for fourth place. Brandace Cantu has moved into ninth place on the career assists list with 175. She can catch Katy Risinger for eighth (213) with 38 assists. Connie Picard has posted 171 career block assists, good for 10th place on the UTSA list. Picard also owns a season hitting percentage of .274 which would rank sixth on the single-season chart. Erin McMillan has 452 digs this season, currently the sixth-best total on school record. The school record is 651 set by Shalynn McCoy in 1989. McMillan posted 501 digs as a freshman, giving her 953 career digs, 43 behind Cristela Perez for 10th place.
Tough Slate
UTSA played a tough non-conference schedule and the dividends are beginning to pay off. The Roadrunners opened with 2003 national semifinalist Minnesota, a team ranked No. 5 at the time, No. 1 for three weeks, No. 2 for two weeks and currently No. 5 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25. UTSA also played Rice, currently receiving 76 votes in the poll, twice and took both Iowa State and Baylor of the Big 12 Conference to five games. Head Coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff
Laura Neugebauer-Groff enters her third season at the helm of the UTSA volleyball program. She came to UTSA in 2002 after a successful eight-year career at St. Mary’s, a Division II school in San Antonio, where she compiled a 256-62 record. Following a tough 8-24 debut season as the Roadrunners’ coach in 2002, Neugebauer-Groff orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in 2003, guiding an extremely young squad to a 19-14 record and an appearance in the SLC Tournament semifinals. A standout player, Neugebauer-Groff was an All-American at Texas in the mid-1980s and was named to the Southwest Conference All-Decade Team in 1992. In 2002, the San Antonio Express-News tabbed her as one of its most influential people in women’s sports. She also was a member of the National Sports Festival in 1983 and the World University Games in 1985. She played professionally for the West German Volleyball League before joining the Chicago Breeze pro team in 1988. She has been an annual participant in the U.S. Volleyball Association National Tournament since 1987. She began her coaching career at Hondo High School in 1988-90 and was an assistant coach at Texas A&M in 1990-92. She graduated from Texas in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and received her master’s in educational leadership from St. Mary’s in 1996. Neugebauer-Groff and her husband, Dwayne, have two children, Jacob (5) and Madison (3).
UTSA To Host 2005 NCAA Volleyball Championship
UTSA will host the 2005 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship on Dec. 15-17 at the Alamodome. UTSA has been the host institution for many NCAA Championship events including the Men’s Basketball Final Four in 1998 and 2004 and the 2002 Women’s Basketball Final Four. The 2004 NCAA Volleyball Championship will be hosted by Long Beach State on Dec. 16-18 in Long Beach, Calif.
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