Volleyball Braces For First BIG EAST Road Trip
Sept. 27, 2002
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The University of Miami volleyball team (12-0) enters its inaugural BIG EAST Conference campaign this weekend as it travels to Boston College on Saturday (7-7) and Providence (2-13) on Sunday.
Of the 14 teams in the BIG EAST Conference the Hurricanes were picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll, while Boston College was 10th and Providence 14th.
“It’s extremely exciting to finally be playing in the BIG EAST Conference,” Miami coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. “It’s something that we’ve been looking forward to since the beginning last year. We’ve heard about some of the rivalries that have developed with some of the other sports and about ‘in conference’ play and it’s just exciting to be there.”
UM boasts the nation’s longest winning streak with 23 consecutive victories since Oct. 5, 2001, and coach Lantagne Welch said that she feels confident about the way that her team will stack up against many of the teams in the conference. “We’re going to be a team that has to be reckoned with,” she said.
The Hurricanes are the lone undefeated team left in the BIG EAST with preseason No. 1 Notre Dame at 9-3 on the year. Preseason No. 2 Pittsburgh is at 10-4.
Miami is perched atop the BIG EAST in three key statistical categories going into league competition. The Hurricanes boast the highest attack percentage with .263 as a team (Notre Dame is second with .258 and Seton Hall is third with .251). Miami is also averaging more kills per game than the rest of the conference at a clip of 16.84 and a total of 640 (Pittsburgh is second with 15.76 and Notre Dame is third with 15.31). Miami also has the most assists per game with 14.89 and a total of 649 (Pittsburgh is second with 14.42 and Seton Hall is third with 13.67).
Senior outside hitter Marcela Gamarra (Medellin, Colombia/Miami-Dade CC) is among the top players in the BIG EAST Conference. She is slated as second in the conference kills with 4.39 per game (167 total).
Sophomore outside hitter Valeria Tipiana (Lima, Peru/Cristo Rey Catholic HS) and freshman middle blocker Karla Johnson (Houston, Texas/Westfield HS) are both among the top 10 in the BIG EAST in hitting percentage with .352 and .333 respectively. Johnson is also among the conference leaders in blocks with 1.11 per game (42.0 total).
Sophomore libero player Jamie Grass (Manhattan Beach, Calf./Mira Costa HS) is fourth in the conference in digs with 4.05 per game.
In their last home contest, the Hurricanes scored by committee when they defeated intra-state opponent Stetson 3-0. Tipiana chipped in a match high 14 kills, followed Gamarra with 12. Johnson had 11 kills and a match high .647 hitting percentage. Sophomore outside hitter Biz Tyson (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny HS) has been among the Hurricanes’ clutch performers all season and she knocked in 10 kills against the Hatters. She also tied Grass in digs on defense with 13. Sophomore setter Mallorey James (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic HS) led in assists with a match high 35.
One of the challenges that Lantagne Welch is interested in seeing her team respond to this weekend is travel, a factor that the Hurricanes have little experience with. “Travel is something new to us,” she said. “But being on the road can be great. You have the team’s full attention. It can work to our advantage.”
Road matches against Villanova (October 5) and Georgetown (October 5) follow this weekend’s contests.
The Hurricanes return to the Knight Sports Complex on Friday, October 11, as they host Rutgers at 7 p.m.
For more information on University of Miami athletics log on to its website www.hurricanesports.com, the official site for all Hurricane news, tickets and apparel. For Hurricane ticket information call 1-800-GO CANES.
