SAN ANTONIO – The Roadrunner volleyball team will be back in action tomorrow, Oct. 14, as it is set to host the Charlotte 49ers in the first of two straight home games. Opening serve is set for 6 p.m. and the match will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
The Roadrunners (7-10, 2-3) will look to bounce back against fellow seven-win team Charlotte (7-10, 1-4) after dropping their last game to No. 25 Western Kentucky. The 49ers enter Friday night's match having just snapped a six-game losing streak, downing FIU 3-1.
The teams share three common opponents so far on the year, each being Conference USA foes. Both UTSA and Charlotte have fallen to Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky in three sets, but the results differ on the third common opponent. UTSA defeated Florida Atlantic 3-1 at home whereas Charlotte fell 3-2 at home to Charlotte.
Fans that attend Friday night's match are encouraged to dress in the 80s style as the match is themed for 80s Flashback Night.
Leading the Roadrunners
Three different Roadrunners have appeared in all 64 sets so far for UTSA. Among those three players is junior middle blocker Amanda Ifeanyi who is second on the team in points with 161.5 points to date. Ifeanyi has 137 kills and a team-high .334 hitting percentage. On defense, Ifeanyi has 34 digs and 43 total blocks, the second most on the team.
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 (143) and kills (113). Coppedge has been a star on defense as she currently leads the Roadrunners in total blocks with 57. As a true freshman, Camacho leads the team in digs with 294 and has ten aces to her name.
Newcomer Cansu Günaydin leads the way for the UTSA offense. The Rutgers transfer has a team-high 213.5 points scored and 190 kills, both of which rank top ten in C-USA and lead the team. Through 17 matches, Günaydin has 13 aces, the second most on the team, as well as 133 digs and a total of 14 blocks.
Senior setter Courtney Walters continues to set up her teammates, as the McKinney, Texas native has 446 assists on the season. Junior outside hitter Kelsey Carpenter is one of five Roadrunners currently over 100 points on the season as the Midlothian, Texas native has 132.5 points with 116 kills. Her 2.19 kills per set are the second most on the team and not far behind her is freshman Katelyn Krienke. Krienke has tallied 122 points on 106 kills.
Scouting the 49ers
Charlotte is led offensively by star junior outside hitter Emani' Foster. The Henderson, N.C. native has recorded a staggering 375.5 points on the season with 338 total kills. Foster leads Conference USA in kills and has roughly 60 more kills than second place. Her 5.2 kills per set average also tops Conference USA. Foster is fourth in the nation in terms of total kills and has done so in fewer sets than the players in front of her. Foster is flanked by two others who have notched at least 100 kills on the year as Amani McArthur (138) and Jessica Ricks (108) complete the offensive threat.
Also pacing the offensive attack is setter Annika Wetterstrom. Wetterstrom ranks seventh in the conference for total assists, having recorded 509 on the season. Her 7.83 assist per set average is the eighth highest in CUSA.
On the defensive side of the net, Sophie Whalen leads the 49ers with 201 digs and is averaging 3.09 digs per set. McArthur (72) and Lara Kretschmer (66) lead the team in blocks.
Series history
UTSA is 8-1 all-time against the Charlotte 49ers and the Roadrunners are currently riding a two-game winning streak. This will be just the fourth meeting between the two squads in San Antonio where UTSA is 2-1 against the 49ers. Five of the Roadrunners' eight wins over Charlotte have been sweeps.
Up next
UTSA plays again on Sunday, Oct. 16, back at the Convo against North Texas. First serve is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be streamed on CUSA.tv. Fans that attend Sunday afternoon's match are encouraged to dress in pink as UTSA has partnered with the ZTA sorority to promote its Breast Cancer Awareness match.
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