SAN ANTONIO – The Roadrunner volleyball team is back in action tomorrow, Oct. 21, when it hits the road for a test against UTEP in El Paso. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
The Roadrunners (7-12, 2-5) will look to snap a three-game losing streak against the third-place Miners (11-9, 5-2) after dropping two straight matches in five sets. UTEP is 7-2 in its last nine games with the lone losses coming to top-25-ranked Rice and Western Kentucky.
Leading the Roadrunners
The Roadrunners are led offensively by Rutgers transfer Cansu Günaydin who leads the team in both points (240.5) and kills (214) while being second on the team in aces (17). Günaydin has also tallied 143 digs, the second most on the team, and has 16 total blocks. She has appeared in all but one set on the season for the Roadrunners and has been the go-to offensive threat.
Two Roadrunners have appeared in all 74 sets on the season. Among those two is junior middle blocker Alicia Coppedge. Coppedge boasts 169 points on 136 kills as she sits third on the team in each category. On the defensive side of the net Coppedge leads all Roadrunners with 63 total blocks and also has 10 digs.
The other Roadrunner mainstay is true freshman defensive specialist Ava Camacho. Camacho leads the team with 330 digs, the sixth most in the conference, and has tallied the most digs amongst any C-USA player in a five-set match (40) and a four-set match (31). Camacho was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 3. Camacho also has 11 aces on the season, the third most by any UTSA player.
Senior setter Courtney Walters continues to set up her teammates, as the McKinney, Texas native has 514 assists on the season. Her 514 assists are the eighth most in the conference and Walters holds the high mark for most assists in a match by any C-USA player this season as she tallied 60 against McNeese.
Junior outside hitter Kelsey Carpenter is one of five Roadrunners who have over 100 points and 100 kills as the Midlothian, Texas native has 145.5 points with 127 kills. Her 2.12 kills per set are the second most on the team and not far behind her is freshman Katelyn Krienke who averages 2-08 per set. Krienke has tallied 146.5 points and also has 127 kills to date.
Scouting UTEP
The Miners are led by an offensive trio consisting of three student-athletes who all have over 200 points and 195 kills. Serena Patterson (200), Sara Pustahija (197) and Torrance Lovesee (197) lead UTEP in kills and are the engine that makes UTEP go.
UTEP boasts a pair of setters who each have over 360 assists on the season as both Mattie Gantt (386) and Hande Yetis (363) each average at least 4.5 assists per set. Pustahija, Hula Crisostomo and Gantt all have over 28 aces on the season as UTEP has the second most aces in C-USA as a team this year.
On the defensive side of the net, Crisostomo leads the Miners with 338 digs, placing her just ahead of Camacho, while Alianza Darley leads UTEP with 103 total blocks. Darley is tied for the Conference USA lead for blocks this season with Sh'Diamond Holly of North Texas.
Series history
UTSA and UTEP will be meeting for the 51st time this Friday night, having first met all the way back in 1983. UTSA holds a slight edge over the Miners with a 26-24 all-time career record. The Roadrunners are 11-8 against UTEP when playing in El Paso. In the last meeting between the two schools, UTSA downed UTEP 3-2.
Up next
UTSA will be back in action this Sunday, Oct. 23, when the team returns to San Antonio to play host to FIU. First serve is set for 1 p.m. and the match will be streamed on CUSA.tv. Fans who attend Sunday's match are encouraged to dress showing their school spirit as it will be the finale of Homecoming week.
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