SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA volleyball program is set to host its second straight tournament this weekend as a part of the Roadrunner Classic presented by Courtyard Marriott.
The Roadrunners (3-6) will face Houston Baptist (7-3), Valparaiso (9-0) and UIW (1-6) in UTSA's fourth and final non-conference tournament Sept. 16-17. UTSA will meet Houston Baptist Sept. 16 at 12:30 p.m. and then follow it up with a nightcap match against undefeated Valparaiso at 7 p.m. The Roadrunners then wrap up tournament play against UIW on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. All matches featuring UTSA will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
Friday night's match against Valparaiso will be a military appreciation game and fans are encouraged to dress to the theme of the movie Top Gun. Saturday afternoon's match featuring UTSA and UIW will be a tribute to the city's Hispanic Heritage with Vamos 'Runners posters being distributed.
Leading the Roadrunners
Four different Roadrunners have appeared in all 34 sets so far for UTSA. Among those four players is newcomer Cansu Günaydin who is leading the way for the UTSA offense. The Rutgers transfer has a team-high 116.5 points scored and 105 kills. Through nine matches, Günaydin has nine aces, the second most on the team, as well as 68 digs and a total of four blocks.
Also appearing in all 34 sets is junior middle blocker Amanda Ifeanyi who is second on the team in points with 83.5 to date. Ifeanyi had 70 kills and a .329 attacking percentage. On defense, Ifeanyi has 18 digs and 23 total blocks, the second most on the team. Earlier this season, Ifeanyi was named to the all-tournament team at the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic.
The other two Roadrunners who have played in each set are fellow middle blocker Alicia Coppedge and freshman defensive specialist Ava Camacho. Coppedge sits at third on the team in points (78) and kills (63). Coppedge has been a star on defense as she currently leads the Roadrunners in total blocks with 28. As a true freshman, Camacho leads the team in digs with 133 and has four aces to her name. Camacho was named to the UTSA Invitational all-tournament team last weekend along with fellow freshman teammate Katelyn Krienke.
Krienke, a Cedar Park, Texas native, is averaging 2.20 kills per set and has an attacking percentage of .293. Senior setter Courtney Walters continues to set the table for her teammates, as the McKinney, Texas native has 265 assists on the season. Walters set a career-high this past weekend at the UTSA Invitational as she tallied 61 assists in a set.
Scouting the competition
UTSA's first opponent of the tournament, Houston Baptist, has won three of its last five games. The Huskies have participated in three tournaments and have been the second-place team in each one, going 2-1 in all three events. Anna Gadway leads the HBU offense as the senior has 101 kills and 115 points on the year. HBU has not yet played in a five-set match, as all of their matches have been decided in four sets or less.
The Valparaiso Beacons are 9-0 on the season, just one of a handful of Division I teams without a blemish on their record. The Beacons have not been challenged much by opponents as they have only gone to five sets once when they defeated Campbell 3-2. The Beacons boast a balanced offensive attack as five players have over 60 kills through nine matches with Kara Cooper leading the way (84).
The last team in the tournament field is fellow San Antonio school UIW. The Cardinals are off to a 1-6 record to begin the season with their lone win coming over Texas Southern. The Cardinals are led by junior outside hitter Allison Palmi who totes a team-high 65 kills and 78 points.
Series history
UTSA is 7-3 all-time against Houston Baptist and has won the last two matches played between the two Texas teams. In the last meeting between the two teams, UTSA defeated HBU 3-2 to claim the Tulsa Invitational championship.
As for the Valparaiso Beacons, UTSA will meet the team from the MVC for the first time in program history.
The Roadrunners are 12-1 against Incarnate Word and the two San Antonio schools will be meeting for the fifth in the last four years. The Roadrunners claimed the last match between the two teams on Sept. 7, 2021. UTSA's sole loss to Incarnate Word came all the way back in 1983.
Up next
After wrapping up its fourth and final non-conference tournament, the Roadrunners will turn their attention to the Conference USA portion of the 2022 schedule. UTSA's conference slate begins with a road trip to Houston to take on the (RV) Rice Owls, the preseason second place team in C-USA. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m. and the match will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
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