PREVIEW: Houston Volleyball Hosts Halloween Spooktacular
10/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
| Gameday Central >> Houston vs. Tulsa | ||
| Date | Time | Friday, Oct. 31, 2014 | 7 p.m. | |
| Location | Athletics/Alumni Center Houston, Texas | |
| Coverage | | Live Video  | |
| Gameday Central >> Houston vs. SMU | ||
| Date | Time | Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014 | 1 p.m. | |
| Location | Athletics/Alumni Center Houston, Texas | |
| Coverage | | Live Video | |
| Social Media |    | |
| Houston Match Notes HOUSTON - A spooky Friday night is in store for Cougar fans as Houston Volleyball hosts American Athletic Conference opponent Tulsa on Halloween night and in state rival SMU on Sunday afternoon.
Houston welcomes Tulsa on Halloween night for a 7 p.m. match during Shasta and Sasha's Halloween Spooktacular. Children are invited to trick-or-treat with the mascots from 6-7 p.m. and fans who come dressed in a Halloween costume will receive a discounted admission of $4.
On Sunday, The Cougars host SMU for the Coogs for the Cure: Dig Pink Match at 1 p.m. The first 100 fans get a Coogs for the Cure pink t-shirt. The first 250 fans get a Coogs for the Cure pink pom. Admission is $4 for all fans.
TULSA HURRICANES
Houston welcomes Tulsa for a Friday match at 7 p.m. In the last meeting three weeks ago, the Cougars took a 2-1 lead after three sets until the Hurricane forced a fourth and fifth set, ultimately winning the match. The Hurricane picked up its second win in conference against Houston.
Tulsa is under new direction after former head coach Steven McRoberts accepted the head-coaching job at Ole Miss. The Hurricanes are now led by first year head coach Ryan Wills.
Two sophomores lead the Hurricanes this season. Outside hitter Erica Bohannon is third in the conference for kills while libero Brooke Berryhill is one of the top defensive specialists in the conference.
Both were named to the conference Preseason team.
Series Record: 5-11 (24-35)
Last meeting: Oct. 12, 2014 - Tulsa 3, UH 2
SMU MUSTANGS
Houston hosts in state rival SMU for a Sunday afternoon match at 1 p.m. In the last meeting three weeks ago, SMU took a 3-1 win over the Cougars marking the third straight win in the series.
Last season, SMU finished second place behind Louisville in conference play. SMU had an 11-game win streak this season before losing the first conference match to UCF.
Senior Caroline Young is the Mustangs' six-rotation player and number one hitter. She has tallied 242 kills, hitting .235, 31 service aces, 154 digs and 47 total blocks so far this season. Junior setter Avery Acker leads the conference in assists per set (11.40) just ahead of Houston's Keandra McCardell.
Series Record: 11-13 (46-46)
Last meeting: Oct. 10, 2014 - SMU 3, UH 1
LAST TIME OUT
Houston Volleyball picked up its third win of the American Athletic Conference this season with a 3-1 win over USF Sunday afternoon.
Sunday marked the first time in 10 years since Houston had defeated the South Florida Bulls. It was also the first conference road win of the season for the Cougars.
Houston is now 3-2 in Sunday matches and 7-3 when leading 2-1 in a match.
On Friday, Houston dropped in three sets to conference leader UCF, who is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
STAT LEADERS
Houston ranks second in three categories and third in two categories among the American Athletic Conference. In kills per set, the Cougars rank second in the conference and 69rd in the nation with 13.48. Senior hitter Kadi Kullerkann leads the Cougars and the league in four of the categories to push Houston ahead of the pack. She is also ranked in the top 10 in the nation for kills per set (5.11), total kills (455) and points per set (5.46).
The Cougars also rank second in team total kills (1,200) and moved up to 34th in the nation.
Defensively, Houston is second in conference for total team digs (1,371). Senior libero Natalie Keck has notched 444 digs so far this season and sits 25th in the nation.
KADI `KILLER'KANN
Senior outside hitter Kadi Kullerkann put up 38 total kills this weekend, averaging 5.43 kills per set. She now has collected 455 kills through 22 matches and a hitting average of .307.
Kullerkann has successfully hit double-digit kills in all 22 matches and tallied 20+ kills in 12 matches. Most recently she recorded 20-kill matches in seven of the last eight matches. Kullerkann also notched 30+kill matches twice this season.
Kullerkann has made a name for herself in the national rankings and leads every category among the conference.
National Rank | Category | Conference Rank |
5th | Kills Per Set (5.11) | 1st |
5th | Points Per Set (5.46) | 1st |
16th | Total Attacks (1,016) | 1st |
3rd | Total Kills (455) | 1st |
In her final season as a Cougar, Kullerkann has made her way into the Houston Volleyball record books.
SINGLE SEASON | ||
5th | Kills Per Set | 5.11 |
8th | Hitting Percentage | .307 |
CAREER | ||
9th | Kills Per Set | 3.31 |
10th | Hitting Percentage | .251 |
CHART CLIMBERS: Natalie Keck
Senior libero Natalie Keck recorded 28 total digs this weekend averaging 4.00 digs per set. She has notched 444 digs so far this season, adding toward her 1,896-career dig total. The Louisville, Ky., native still stands in sole possession of third place in the school record books and is 20 digs away from jumping Amanda Carson (2007-10) for the second most career digs. She is also just 107 digs away from reaching her 2,000th career dig.
Keck has recorded double-digit digs in all but two matches this season. She had a 19-match streak of double-digit digs before the UCF game on Friday (Oct. 24) where she was one shy of double-digits. Keck has notched 20 or more digs in 12 of the 22 matches including four consecutive matches spanning Oct. 10-19.
Keck has also made a name for herself in the national rankings this season alongside teammate Kullerkann.
National Rank | Category | Conference Rank |
31st | Digs Per Set (4.99) | 2nd |
25th | Total Digs (444) | 2nd |
Keck has always been a front-runner in the Houston Volleyball record books and in just five weeks, her career at UH will come to an end.
SINGLE SEASON | ||
10th | Digs Per Set | 4.99 |
CAREER | ||
2nd | Digs | 1,896 |
2nd | Digs Per Set | 4.41 |
STAY CONNECTED
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SINGLE GAME TICKETS
Only seven home games remain for Houston Volleyball. Fans can now purchase single game tickets for just $8 per ticket. To take advantage, CLICK HERE or call 713-GO-COOGS today!
JOIN POINT HOUSTON CLUB
Fans can help support the Houston Volleyball program by joining the Point HOUSTON Club. To find out more information about the Point HOUSTON Club, visit UHCougars.com or call Cougar Price at (713) 743-GOUH
