@CanesVB Host No. 22 Louisville & Notre Dame
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team will host a ranked team for the second consecutive week as No. 22 Louisville and Notre Dame travel to Coral Gables for matches against the Hurricanes.
Miami (17-7, 10-4 ACC) host No. 22 Louisville and Notre Dame in the James L. Knight Sports Complex this week in the middle two matches of a six-match homestand. The Hurricanes will host Louisville at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, while Notre Dame will face Miami at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Reigning ACC Player of the Week Olga Strantzali heads into this weekend’s matches as one of the top players in the entire conference. The sophomore leads the ACC with 40 service aces, averaging a conference-best .44 service aces per set. Strantzali is also Miami’s most prolific attacker with 288 kills on the season.
Seniors Alexis Mourning and Taylor Scott are two other Hurricanes making a big impact on the court. Mourning leads the Canes in blocks with 100 on the season and the middle blocker ranks ninth in the ACC with a team-high .349 attack percentage.
Scott has been a steady force for the Hurricanes, tallying 277 kills on the season while averaging 3.38 kills per set to rank 10th in the conference. The senior outside hitter also is third on the team with 19 service aces.
Kelsie Groot has also been a steady performer for Miami, tying for the team lead with eight double-doubles this season. The junior ranks third on the team in kills, assists and digs, showing her ability to make an impact on all aspects of a volleyball match.
Setter Haley Templeton continues to keep the Hurricanes’ attack balanced, dishing out 979 assists this season. The sophomore ranks fourth in the ACC with 10.41 assists per set, while her 0.29 service aces per set rank eighth in the conference.
Sophomore Sakile Simmons and senior Kalysta White round out Miami’s projected starters and each player brings a different ability to the Canes. Simmons ranks third on the team with a .297 attack percentage and has multiple blocks in each of her last six matches while starting at middle blocker. White leads the Canes with 355 digs as Miami’s libero and is dangerous with her serve, tallying 15 aces on the season.
Miami has gotten contributions from freshmen Kolby Bird and Anna Haak. Both newcomers have been key reserves for the Hurricanes lately, while sophomore Sylvia Hernandez and Codi Lee have provided solid passing off the bench. Senior Caitilin Donahoe and sophomores Michele Marenus and Brooke McDermott have also stepped up when head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara has called their names.
While Miami will play Notre Dame for the first time this season, the Canes have faced the Cardinals already this season, falling in four sets at Louisville on Sept. 27. But the Hurricanes enter this weekend’s action fresh off a big week in which they defeated No. 17 Florida State and a Virginia squad that ranked among the Top 50 in the RPI. The Canes have also won 10 of their 12 matches since facing the Cardinals in September.
Following this weekend’s action, Duke and Wake Forest will travel to Miami for the final two home matches of the 2015 Hurricanes volleyball season. The Canes will host Duke at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20, with a pre-match ceremony honoring seniors Caitilin Donahoe, Alexis Mourning, Taylor Scott and Kalysta White. The Hurricanes will host Wake Forest at 1 p.m. on Nov. 22 in the final home match of the season. All Miami home matches are played at the James L. Knight Sports Complex on the University of Miami campus and admission is free.
For all the latest information on Miami Hurricanes volleyball, follow the official Twitter feed, @CanesVB, or “Like Us” on Facebook at facebook.com/UMVolleyball. The program is also on Instagram.
