@CanesVB Heads to Wildcat Classic at K-State
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team travels to Manhattan, Kan., for three matches at the Wildcat Classic this weekend.
The Hurricanes (3-3) will face Loyola Chicago (3-3) in their tournament opener at 11 a.m. ET on Friday. Miami returns to the court Friday night to face the host Kansas State Wildcats (4-2) at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Canes will close out the weekend with a match against Mississippi State (5-2) at 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday morning. The match between Miami and Kansas State is set to be broadcast live on FCS-Atlantic.
“Every week is about the next challenge and this is a great opportunity for us to continue to get better,” Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said. “It may be the most important challenge because it’s the next one, but we just try to continue to do what we do in practice on game day. That is a challenge in itself. I like how we are working in practice and the next test is to see if we can do it on game day.”
Miami is led by junior Olga Strantzali, who ranks fourth in the ACC with 4.05 kills per set. The junior, who was a Preseason All-ACC selection, leads all Hurricanes with 85 kills and ranks second on the team with six service aces.
Anna Haak is another impact attacker for Miami, ranking second on the team with 59 kills this season. The sophomore, who is third on the team with 41 digs and eight blocks, has elevated her game from a year ago and become an important part of the Canes’ lineup.
The Hurricanes, who return four starters from last year’s team, will look to middle blockers Lucia Pampana and Sakile Simmons to be active at the net. Pampana has been Miami’s most efficient hitter, registering a .352 attack percentage to go with her 25 kills that rank third on the team. The sophomore is also tied with Simmons for the team lead with 14 total blocks apiece.
Kolby Bird will look to continue her success after a solid showing at the American Campus Classic last weekend. The sophomore recorded a career-best 16 kills and a .625 attack percentage in Miami’s five-set win over UTSA. Bird also had five service aces on the weekend to move into third place on the team for the season.
“It was a lot of fun and it was definitely new because I was on the right side against UTSA,” Bird said. “I did not play on that side at all last year, so it was interesting. I knew I had to step up and help my team and I did my best and it worked out.”
Libero Sylvia Hernandez anchors Miami’s back row, leading the Hurricanes with 65 digs. Junior Alyssa Basdavanos tallied 105 assists at the American Campus Classic, including 53 in her Hurricanes’ debut against UTSA.
Miami has also gotten contributions from junior Brooke McDermott, sophomore Codi Lee and freshmen Madison Dill, Sara Duque and Carly Davey this season, giving Gandara plenty of options to use against opponents.
“Depth needs to be one of our strengths,” Gandara said. “We have good numbers in the gym and we have to have the ‘next one up’ mentality where everyone is ready to go. We can play multiple positions and adapt to what we need that day.”
Following this weekend’s action, Miami is set to close non-conference play with three matches at a tournament at the University of Delaware on Sept. 16-17.
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.
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.
