Miami Volleyball Takes to the Road for Four Match Stretch

Nov. 9, 2011

Complete Match Notes in PDF Format

Coral Gables, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team will hit the road this week/weekend as the Hurricanes travel to the state of North Carolina for a pair of matches in what will be the first two of a four-match road swing. The Canes will first face Duke on Thursday, Nov. 10 (7 p.m.), followed by Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 12 (5 p.m.) in the Old North State.

Miami takes a six-match win streak on the road when it competes in what has traditionally been a tough two-match skid along venerable I-40 in North Carolina. The Canes have not defeated the Blue Devils on the road since 2008, but took the previous meeting against them at home this year in Coral Gables.

The Hurricanes are led by the play of two seniors in All-America outside hitter Lane Carico with a team-leading 294 kills (3.59 k/s) and middle blocker Ali Becker with a league-leading hitting percentage of .398, also ranked 11th nationally in that category. Additionally, Carico ranks in the Top 10 in the ACC for digs with 345 (4.21 d/s).

Redshirt senior setter Katie Gallagher, this week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Player of the Week, leads the league in assists with 921 (11.37 a/s). Sophomore libero Ryan Shaffer leads the team with 371 digs (4.42 d/s) as Becker adds a team-leading 75 blocks (0.89 b/s).

Freshman middle blocker Emani Sims jumped into the Top 10 in the ACC for hitting percentage as the Glenview, Ill. native now boasts a .329 clip with 148 kills (1.87 k/s) and a team second-best 67 blocks (0.85 b/s). Sims is certainly a Hurricanes player to watch after redshirting during the 2010 campaign.

For more information on the University of Miami volleyball team, please log on to HurricaneSports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Hurricanes volleyball program.

Fans can keep up-to-date with all UM Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/HurricaneSports. You can also become a fan of the Canes on Facebook at Facebook.com/MiamiHurricanes.

Match 25: MIAMI (21-3, 12-3 ACC) at Duke (17-7, 11-4 ACC)
When: Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Eastern
Where: Durham, N.C. (Cameron Indoor Stadium)
Live Stats: Live stats available at GoDuke.com
Live Internet Video: Live video available at GoDuke.com

SERIES INFO
All-Time Record: Duke leads Miami, 10-4
Last Meeting: Miami won 3-0 on Oct. 2, 2011 in Coral Gables, Fla.
Series Streak: Miami won this year’s previous meeting by a 3-0 decision, but it was the Blue Devils taking the three previous meetings prior to this year’s earlier contest.

SCOUTING DUKE
The Duke Blue Devils are 17-7 overall and hold an 11-4 record in the ACC as they bring a three-match win streak into Thursday night’s match. Duke is led by three players with 200-plus kills on the year, including Sophia Dunworth with a team-leading 271 (3.01 k/s). Following her is Christiana Gray with 239 kills (2.75 k/s) and Amanda Robertson with 230 (2.53 k/s). Gray tops the team in blocks with 86 (0.99 b/s).

The defense uses Ali McCurdy with a team-leading 524 digs (5.76 d/s), also leading the ACC in that department.

Gray is ranked second in the ACC in hitting percentage as she totes a .395 clip into Thursday’s match. Setter Kellie Catanach sets up the offense with 993 assists (11.03 a/s).

Match 26: MIAMI (21-3, 12-3 ACC) at Wake Forest (7-18, 4-11 ACC)
When: Saturday, Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. Eastern
Where: Winston-Salem, N.C. (Reynolds Gymnasium)
Live Stats: Game Tracker on WakeForestSports.com
Live Internet Video: Live video available at WakeForestSports.com

SERIES INFO
All-Time Record: Miami leads Wake Forest, 9-4
Last Meeting: Miami won 3-0 on Sept. 30, 2011 in Coral Gables, Fla.
Series Streak: Miami won the previous meeting this year by a 3-0 decision and has won the previous four meetings in the series against the Demon Deacons dating back to 2008.

SCOUTING WAKE FOREST
Wake Forest is 4-11 in league play while holding a record of 7-18 overall on the year. The Demon Deacons are sparked on offense by the play of outside hitter Kadija Fornah with a team-leading 325 kills (3.49 k/s) and Carlin Salmon with 235 kills (2.53 k/s).

Andrea Beck is also chipping in with 205 kills (3.42 k/s) while setter Danae Rosendall is fifth in the league with 909 assists (9.77 a/s).

The libero for the Demon Deacons is Dani Thompson as she leads the squad with 380 digs (4.18 d/s).

Gallagher Picks Up ACC Weekly Honors
Redshirt senior setter Katie Gallagher was named as this week’s ACC Co-Player of the Week after helping UMiami to a pair of wins over UNC and NC State, respectively.

The conference leader in assists, Gallagher compiled 96 in the two-match stretch for a 13.71 average. In the win over North Carolina, she had 53 assists and had 43 against the Wolfpack. The Winter Park, Fla. native helped three players reach double-figure kills against the Tar Heels and four more against the Wolfpack. This marks her first award of the season and the second of her career.

Gallagher needs just 62 more assists to pass Jill Robinson (2003-06) on the Miami all-time list for career assists.

Let’s Make It 20
The win last Friday over the University of North Carolina was the 20th of the year for the Hurricanes, giving them 20 wins in each of the last two seasons. It also marked the third time in the last four years the Canes have achieved the feat and the fifth time overall in school history.

Dig Pink a Success
The Hurricanes enjoyed their fourth consecutive year of success in helping raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. This year, UMiami raised a considerable amount of money last weekend for its annual Dig Pink match against the University of Virginia on Friday, Oct. 28.

Always Bet on Becker
Senior middle blocker Ali Becker has surged onto the scene this year for the Hurricanes. The Katy, Texas native leads the league in hitting percentage and ranks 11th nationally in that category as she hits at a .398 clip. Becker also has a team second-best 254 kills (3.00 k/s).

Poll Position
The University of Miami is No. 26, respectively, this week in the AVCA Coaches Poll. In the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), UM is No. 22 this week and is second amongst ACC schools in this week’s RPI, trailing only Florida State (No. 11).

Miami Says Farewell to Special Quartet
In its match against NC State on Sunday, Nov. 6, the University of Miami celebrated “Senior Day” for a special group of players that have undoubtedly been one of the best groups to ever play for the Orange and Green. The Hurricanes bid farewell to seniors Ali Becker, Lane Carico, Katie Gallagher and Christine Williamson, a group that has taken UM to consecutive NCAA Tournaments (2009-10) and looks to add another NCAA run to its belt in 2011.

Since 2008, the Hurricanes have a record of 88-31 (.739).

Lane Carico Named a Finalist for Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award
Lane Carico of the University of Miami has been selected as one of 10 finalists for this year’s Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for volleyball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

Hurricanes on the Net
University of Miami volleyball matches this season will be broadcast live on HurricaneSports.com with video webcasts for every home match, courtesy of Hurricanes All-Access. All home matches will feature a live audio broadcast through WVUM–the student voice of all things UMiami.

Live Stats
Live stats for all home matches and most road games will be available on HurricaneSports.com to both media and fans. Click the Game Tracker logo on the website to see play-by-play, player/team stats and much more.