Canes Volleyball Heads West for Two Matches
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball program gets back on the road and travels to the Lone Star State for two matches.
The Canes will open up competition against host school Texas A&M – Corpus Christi on Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET at the Dugan Wellness Center. The Islanders are 0-7 entering this weekend’s matches and are 0-2 against ACC opponents, falling to Clemson and Duke earlier this year. Miami will close out the weekend against Texas Southern (1-6) on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET. The Tigers earned their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Southern last weekend.
Miami has a pair of away matches for the second straight weekend before returning to the Knight Sports Complex next weekend. The Canes went 0-2 at the third annual Puerto Rico Classic, despite a great effort to force a fifth set in the final match of the tournament against Missouri. The Canes are now 2-3 heading to Texas.
Senior outside hitter Kolby Bird was named to the Puerto Rico Classic All-Tournament Team, tallying 21 kills, four digs and one block. Bird was joined by redshirt sophomore Elizaveta Lukianova, freshman Chloe Brown and junior transfer Bridget Wallenberger on the offensive front. Lukianova’s 20 kills in Puerto Rico gave her a one kill advantage over Brown to lead the Canes with 59 on the season.
Wallenberger continues to provide a huge presence at the net with a team-leading 22 blocks and 37 kills in her first season with the Canes.
Freshman Emily Damon has started all five matches for the Canes as the libero and has recorded 60 digs along with a team-leading eight service aces. Damon’s serving was too much for Towson in Puerto Rico, logging four straight aces last Friday.
Both matches are the first-ever meetings between the schools.
Miami returns home next weekend to host LIU Brooklyn for two matches at the Knight Sports Complex before entering conference play and hosting Wake Forest and Duke next weekend.
For a complete look at the Hurricanes’ 2018 schedule, click here.
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