@CanesVB Heads to Syracuse and Boston College
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team is set to begin a four-match road trip this weekend with contests at Syracuse and Boston College.
The Hurricanes (11-15, 5-9 ACC) travel to Syracuse (7-17, 6-8 ACC) for a 7 p.m., match on Friday. Two days later, Miami will play at Boston College (8-16, 3-11 ACC) at noon. The two matches will serve as the first half of Miami’s final four road outings of the 2016 regular season.
Miami is led by one of the most prolific attackers in the country, Olga Strantzali. The junior outside hitter leads the ACC and ranks ninth in the NCAA with 4.71 kills per set. Strantzali’s 457 kills are 11th in the NCAA and her 514.0 points lead the conference and rank 10th nationally. She also is second in the ACC with 0.38 service aces per set.
The Canes also have a pair of sophomore hitters who have made an impact in Anna Haak and Kolby Bird. Haak, who is second on the team with 293 kills, enters this weekend’s action fresh off a 19-kill performance against NC State that tied her career high, while Bird has been a steady contributor from the opposite position that rates third on the team in kills, attack percentage and total blocks.
Lucia Pampana leads a talented trio of middle blockers for Miami. The sophomore leads the Canes with a .299 hitting percentage and has 85 total blocks on the season. Junior Sakile Simmons ranks second on the team with 61 blocks, while freshman Madison Dill tallied nine kills, three blocks and three service aces over seven sets last weekend.
Hannah Sorensen keeps Miami’s offense running, as the freshman setter is third in the ACC with 10.59 assists per set. Sorensen, who has 678 assists on the season, has dished out at least 25 assists in all 17 matches she has played in this year.
Sylvia Hernandez anchors Miami’s back row, as the junior libero leads all Hurricanes with 327 digs. Fellow defensive specialists Sara Duque, Carly Davey and Codi Lee have contributed in the back row this season, while juniors Alyssa Basdavanos, Haley Templeton and Brooke McDermott have also seen action for Miami.
Following this weekend’s matches, the Hurricanes will play their final two road contests of the season. Miami will play at Wake Forest at 6:30 p.m., on Nov. 18 and will take on Duke at 1 p.m., on Nov. 20 in a match that will air on ACC Network Extra.
All Hurricanes volleyball home matches are played at the James L. Knight Sports Complex on the University of Miami campus. Admission is free. 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.
