@CanesVB Hosts Duke & Wake on Senior Weekend
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team will recognize four seniors as part of Senior Weekend at the James L. Knight Sports Complex.
Caitilin Donahoe, Alexis Mourning, Taylor Scott and Kalysta White will play their final home matches as Hurricanes this weekend as Miami hosts Duke and Wake Forest at The Knight. The Canes will host Duke at 7 p.m. on Friday, with a pre-match ceremony honoring the four seniors. Miami will host Wake Forest at 1 p.m. on Sunday in the final home match of the season. Admission is free to all Miami home volleyball matches.
Donahoe is a four-year member of the Hurricanes volleyball team, helping the Canes reach the NCAA tournament in her first three seasons. The Pompano Beach, Fla., native has the second-most assists in a single match in UM history, recording 64 assists against Long Beach State in 2013. Donahoe is also a leader off the court, serving on UM’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee executive board.
Mourning is a fifth-year senior who has accomplished a lot in her time as a Hurricane, including four trips to the NCAA tournament. A captain of the 2015 team, Mourning is a two-time All-ACC performer and was named AVCA All-America Honorable Mention in 2012. The Arlington, Texas, native is one of the top middle blockers in program history, ranking third in UM history in total blocks and holding the single match record for total blocks with 17.
Scott is a two-year Hurricane, transferring to Miami prior to her junior season. The Claremont, Calif., native has been a starter in her two seasons in Coral Gables, tallying 556 kills heading into this weekend’s action. Scott helped the Hurricanes reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago and has been a leader in her senior campaign, earning ACC Player of the Week honors on Sept. 14.
White has also started the majority of her matches in her two years as a Cane. The Laguna Beach, Calif., native has been Miami’s primary libero since 2014, tallying 631 digs heading into this weekend’s matches. She has also been dangerous with her serve, recording 26 service aces as a Hurricane. White helped Miami reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and has played some of her best volleyball this year, twice recording a career-high 27 digs in a match.
In addition to Miami’s four seniors, the Hurricanes bring a bevy of talent into their final home weekend of the 2015 season.
Olga Strantzali is one of the top players in the ACC, leading the conference and ranking 28th in the NCAA with 0.42 service aces per set. The sophomore’s 42 aces lead the conference and her 311 kills are the most by a Hurricane this season.
Haley Templeton is another superb sophomore, ranking fourth in the ACC with 10.54 assists per set, dishing out a team high 1,075 assists on the season. Templeton has also been dangerous with her serve, tallying 28 aces on the season. A lefty with a powerful arm, Templeton has been known to attack when the opportunity presents itself and the sophomore is effective, hitting .318 on the season.
Kelsie Groot has been a consistent contributor for the Canes in a variety of areas. The junior leads Miami with nine double-doubles on the season and ranks in the Top 3 on the team in kills, assists and digs. Groot had a big weekend last week against No. 22 Louisville and Notre Dame, combining for 32 kills, 18 digs and three blocks over the two matches.
Sakile Simmons is another sophomore that has contributed to Miami’s success this season. The middle blocker has recorded multiple blocks in seven of her last eight matches and is one of two Hurricanes to record a team-high eight blocks in a single match this season.
Miami has also gotten solid play from Sylvia Hernandez, with the sophomore defensive specialist recording at least six digs in each of her last four matches including a career-high 10 in a win over Notre Dame last Sunday.
Freshmen Anna Haak, Kolby Bird and Lucia Pampana have been key contributors at different points this season, while sophomores Michele Marenus and Brooke McDermott and freshman Codi Lee have stepped up off the bench for head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara’s Hurricanes.
Following this weekend’s action, Miami will hit the road for the final weekend of the 2015 regular season. The Canes will travel to Clemson and Georgia Tech to close out ACC play, facing the Tigers at 7 p.m. on Nov. 25 and the Yellow Jackets in the regular season finale at 1 p.m. on Nov. 27.
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.
