VB in Austin for American Campus Classic
AUSTIN, Texas – The University of Miami volleyball team travels to The Lone Star State to compete at the American Campus Classic, hosted at the University of Texas in Austin.
The Hurricanes (2-1) have three matches scheduled in Austin, beginning at 11 a.m. ET on Friday against UTSA. Miami plays Lipscomb at 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday night and closes out the tournament on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET against the host Longhorns. All three matches will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network.
Texas natives Sakile Simmons and Codi Lee are excited to represent The U in their home state this weekend.
“I am so excited,” Simmons said. “I have a lot of family coming. My brother is in graduate school at Texas, so he will be there, as well. I think this weekend will be a good test for us. We have been working on some things this past week and the tournament gives us a good opportunity to see how much we have improved.”
The junior middle blocker is one of four returning starters from last year’s squad. Simmons, who is hitting .300 and has five blocks on the year, is a leader for a Miami team that has no seniors on the 2016 roster.
The Canes also feature a pair of Preseason All-ACC selections in juniors Olga Strantzali and Haley Templeton that have a lot to do with the Hurricanes hitting an ACC-leading .278 as a team.
Strantzali ranks second in the ACC with 4.56 kills per set and her 41 kills lead the Hurricanes. Templeton leads the ACC with 0.89 service aces per set and has tallied eight aces on the season. The standout setter also ranks fifth in the league with 10.56 assists per set, tallying 95 over nine sets on the opening weekend of play.
Lucia Pampana joins Simmons, Strantzali and Templeton as returning starters from last year’s team and the sophomore has been Miami’s best blocker this year, averaging 1.50 blocks per set to rank seventh in the ACC.
Sophomore Anna Haak has been a major contributor to Miami’s attack, ranking second on the team with 29 kills (3.22 k/set). The powerful outside hitter began her season with an impressive 16-kill performance against Florida A&M and will look to continue her success this weekend in Texas.
Brooke McDermott has played opposite for the Canes so far this season and the junior ranks fourth on the team with 12 kills. Fellow junior Sylvia Hernandez leads all Miami players with 35 digs and will likely be the Canes’ libero.
Lee leads a talented group of reserve players that have contributed in a variety of ways this season. The sophomore ranks third on the team with 17 digs, while fellow sophomore Kolby Bird gives Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara flexibility at the outside hitter and opposite positions.
“I’m so thrilled to go back to my home state to play,” Lee said. “I have family and friends going and that’s always a great feeling to play in front of a home crowd. We’re also playing against some of my friends and it’s always fun to play against old teammates and rivals. We’re playing some great teams this weekend and I’m excited to see how we do.”
Several freshmen have also seen action for the Hurricanes, led by middle blocker Madison Dill. The 6-foot-3 Dill ranks third on the team with a .312 hitting percentage and has tallied five blocks on the year. Defensive specialists Carly Davey and Sara Duque have also contributed off the bench for Miami this year.
Following this weekend’s action in Texas, the Canes have two more non-conference tournaments before opening ACC play. Miami will travel to Manhattan, Kan., for three matches at the Wildcat Classic and is set to close non-conference play with three matches at a tournament at the University of Delaware.
All Hurricanes volleyball home matches are played at the James L. Knight Sports Complex on the University of Miami campus. For a complete look at the Hurricanes’ 2016 schedule, click here.
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