FOUR TEAMS SURVIVE OPENING WEEKEND
Four American Athletic Conference teams remain unscathed in conference play following the opening weekend of play, and they are all in the West Division. Rice, SMU and North Texas all sit at 3-0, while Wichita State is 2-0. Wichita State will travel to Dallas to take on SMU on Friday and Sunday for a battle of the unbeatens.
CLOTHIER NAMED AVCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SMU graduate middle blocker Emma Clothier was named the AVCA/GameChanger National Player of the Week, guiding the Mustangs to a 3-0 week to begin American Athletic Conference play, as SMU defeated Memphis (3-0), and UTSA twice (3-1; 3-0). For the week, she averaged 5.3 points per set and 4.2 kills per set, while hitting .597. Clothier is the third American player in conference history to be named the AVCA Player of the Week and the first since 2019.
CAN YOU DIG IT?
The American features the two top digs per set teams in the country in Rice and Tulsa. The Owls lead the nation with 19.38 digs per set, while Tulsa is second in the nation with 18.41 digs per set. The single-season team record in The American for digs per set is held by the 2016 Tulsa squad, who averaged 18.34 digs per set. Rice’s senior libero Nia McCardell ranks 9th in the country with 5.36 digs per set.
CASSADAY CONTINUES STRONG SEASON
Tulsa’s graduate outside hitter Kayley Cassaday is having a career year for the Golden Hurricane. She leads the nation in total points (299.5), kills (283), and attacks (774). She is also second in the nation in kills per set (5.55) and third in the country in points per set (5.87). Cassaday and the rest of the Tulsa squad will travel to Denton to take on North Texas on Thursday and Friday on ESPN+ with both matches first serving happening at 7 p.m. ET.
SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Thursday, September 28
Tulsa at North Texas* (ESPN+)_________________ 7 p.m.
Friday, September 29
UAB at South Florida* (ESPN+)_________________ 6 p.m.
Florida Atlantic at East Carolina* (ESPN+)_______ 6 p.m.
Tulane at Temple* (ESPN+)____________________ 6 p.m.
Memphis at Charlotte* (ESPN+)________________ 6 p.m.
Tulsa at North Texas* (ESPN+)_________________ 7 p.m.
UTSA at Rice* (ESPN+)_________________________ 7 p.m.
Wichita State at SMU* (ESPN+)_________________ 8 p.m.
Saturday September 30
Florida Atlantic at East Carolina* (ESPN+)_______ 12 p.m.
Memphis at Charlotte* (ESPN+)________________ 1 p.m.
UAB at South Florida* (ESPN+)_________________ 2 p.m.
UTSA at Rice* (ESPN+)_________________________ 2 p.m.
Sunday, October 1
Wichita State at SMU* (ESPNU)________________ 1 p.m.
* denotes American Athletic Conference game
All times ET and subject to change
