The SMU volleyball team, coming off a lopsided home loss to Conference USA power Tulane on Sunday, hits the road for a pair of difficult matches against conference opponents this weekend.
The Mustangs face the Memphis Tigers (12-9, 3-4 C-USA) on Friday, then head south for a showdown against conference leader Alabama-Birmingham (16-3, 6-1) on Sunday.
This weekend’s road trip could go a long way towards determining the Mustangs position in the conference tournament Nov. 20 in Memphis, Tenn. Seven of SMU’s final nine regular season games are on the road, and the team is yet to win a conference road game this season. Gaining a victory against its equal, Memphis, would get things on the right track.
The Mustangs (11-10, 3-4) return to Moody Coliseum on Oct. 31 to face the Houston Cougars.
SMU, which has prided itself on defense, struggled at home last weekend against Tulane and Texas-El Paso. Tulane posted an unprecedented .469 attack percentage against the Mustangs, and UTEP managed to hit .263. So far this season, the Mustangs have allowed their opponents to hit .202.
Unfortunately for the Mustangs, they are facing a red-hot UAB offense. The Blazers average a .258 attack percentage, led by seniors Ivana Bozic and Casey Dent, who have combined for nearly half of the team’s kills this season.
The duo has led the team to a 10-game winning streak, which could move to 11 if the Blazers defeat defending conference champion Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Friday.
Senior setter Nevena Stefanov is another reason for the Blazers success. She leads the team with 794 assists and has been selected conference Setter of the Week twice this season. Lilly Dominguez was conference Defensive Player of the Week last week.
The Mustangs face a less daunting Tigers squad on Friday. Memphis has lost four of its last five matches at home and three straight overall. In their last match against Southern Mississippi, the Tigers allowed a .412 hitting percentage.
The Tigers, who are hitting only .204 this season, are led by sophomores Katlin English and Rebekah Strickland. The pair has combined for 406 kills this season and only 160 errors this season. Becky Shaffer leads the team with 181 digs.
