Roadrunners to start Conference USA play on road this weekend

SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will open Conference USA (C-USA) play this weekend when it travels to the Bayou State for a pair of matches. The Roadrunners will take on Tulane at 7 p.m. on Friday at Devlin Fieldhouse before squaring off with Louisiana Tech at 3 p.m. two days later at Thomas Assembly Center.

Preseason C-USA Player of the Year McKenzie Adams will lead UTSA (8-6) into their inaugural league matches as the nation's leader in kills per set (5.40). Adams also ranks third in points per set (5.80), while sophomore libero Annie Kunes ranks 14th with 5.54 digs per set. As a team, the Roadrunners rank fourth in the country with 18.77 digs per set.

UTSA, winners of five of its past seven outings, will be facing a Tulane team that is off to the best start in program history at 13-1. The Green Wave leads the conference with a .284 hitting percentage, while holding opponents to a league-low .149 mark. Tulane also leads the circuit with 14.52 kills per set, which is just ahead of the second-ranked Roadrunners (13.67).

Sunday's matchup at Louisiana Tech (6-9) will feature a Lady Techsters team that ranks sixth in C-USA opponent hitting percentage but has struggled to find their own offensive rhythm at the net. LA Tech ranks at the bottom of the league standings in kills per set (11.12) and next-to-last in hitting percentage (.172).