SMU volleyball fell in both games this weekend on the road against conference foes Tulane (13-1 C-USA) and UTEP (3-11 C-USA). Friday, The Tuane Green Wave brushed past SMU in three sets, and UTEP repeated this offense Sunday in El Paso.
In the loss against Tulane, senior Natalie Peters and freshman Dana Powell had six kills each. SMU’s front line of defense stepped it up having three blocks in an attempt to stop the thundering offense coming from the Green Wave. Libero Sidney Stewart recorded a team high 10 digs in the game, while setter Kelli Becerra provided the Mustangs with 13 assists.
In spite of the Mustangs 36 digs, Tulane was an unstoppable force on offense. With and ending hitting efficiency of .449, the Green Wave dominated on offense with hitters Sara Radosevic and Visjna Djurajevic, recording 10 and 11 kills a piece. Tulane is currently tied for first with UAB in conference and ranks in the top 30 in the NCAA following their 11 game winning streak.
In the loss against the UTEP Miners, Wilkerson continued to play exceptional, leading the offense with 11 kills as well as the defense with nine digs. Kendra Kahanek, registering four blocks and eight kills, led SMU’s front line of defense. SMU is ranked third in blocks in Conference USA, with Kahanek in the lead averaging 2.30 blocks per set.
Despite the effort from the Mustangs, SMU only recorded a hitting efficiency of .152, weak compared to the Miners’ season high .292. Amy Sanders led UTEP’s offense and defense hitting .545 for seven kills, and recording 20 digs.
The Mustangs now fall to 5-10 in conference play and 13-16 overall. They hope to end the season on a strong note in their final game before the conference tournament facing off against Tulsa Sunday at 3 p.m.