SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA volleyball team will look to get back in the win column Friday night, as it travels to Murfreesboro, Tenn. for a Conference USA matchup with the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Friday's match is slated to start at 6 p.m. and will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
The Roadrunners (6-9, 1-2) will meet MTSU (12-5, 1-2) in a battle of two teams that are trying to notch their second conference victory of the season.
UTSA enters the match after dropping a home contest to Louisiana Tech while MTSU enters the competition after a win over FIU.
Leading the Roadrunners
Four different Roadrunners have appeared in all 57 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 197.5 points scored and 179 kills, both of which rank top ten in C-USA and lead the team. Through 15 matches, Günaydin has 12 aces, the second most on the team, as well as 127 digs and a total of ten blocks.
Also appearing in all 57 sets is junior middle blocker Amanda Ifeanyi who is second on the team in points with 140 points to date. Ifeanyi has 117 kills and a .314 hitting percentage, the best on the team. On defense, Ifeanyi has 27 digs and 40 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 (123.5) and kills (98). Coppedge has been a star on defense as she currently leads the Roadrunners in total blocks with 49. As a true freshman, Camacho leads the team in digs with 270 and has nine aces to her name. Camacho played so well this last week against FAU and La Tech that she was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week.
Senior setter Courtney Walters continues to set the table for her teammates, as the McKinney, Texas native has 385 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 125.5 points with 109 kills. Her 2.22 kills per set are the second most on the team and are just ahead of freshman Katelyn Krienke. Krienke has tallied 110 points on 96 kills in 13 matches.
Scouting the Blue Raiders
Middle Tennessee is led offensively by Adri Rhoda, a top player in Conference USA. Rhoda leads the conference in aces as she currently sits at 40, 10 more than the second most in conference. Rhoda has tallied 239.5 points on 178 kills and leads the team in both categories. Earlier this season, Rhoda recorded a conference-high .800 attacking percentage against Miami (Ohio).
Other than Rhoda, four other Blue Raiders have notched at least 100 kills as Kayla Henley (154), Kaylee Oscarson (129), Dasia Smith (123) and Trae McCutchan (112) also help power the offense.
Middle Tennessee setter Taylor Eisert has totaled 620 assists through 17 matches and is averaging 9.84 assists per set. Eisert has recorded the second most assists amongst all Conference USA members.
On the defensive side of the net, Marley Banton leads the Blue Raiders in digs with 266 while Oscarson (64) and Smith (59) lead the team in blocks.
Series history
UTSA is 7-2 all-time in meetings against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and is riding a six-game win streak against MTSU dating back to 2014. The Roadrunners are 4-1 all-time in games played against MTSU in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Up next
UTSA will be back in action on Sunday, Oct. 9, as it travels to Bowling Green, Ky. for a meeting with the 25th-ranked Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Sunday's match is set to begin at noon and will be streamed on the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network on Facebook.
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