RICE REMAINS LONE UNBEATEN
The Rice Owls are the last team in The American that has lost a match in conference action. They sit at 7-0 in conference play and have won nine straight matches overall. Their nine-match winning streak is the 10th longest active streak in the NCAA. The Owls will host Florida Atlantic on Friday for their lone match this weekend. First serve is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
ACE UP THEIR SLEEVE
South Florida heads into the weekend leading The American in service aces with 1.89 aces per set. They are on pace for the second highest per set mark for service aces in conference history, behind only 2019 Cincinnati, who had 1.96 aces per set.
Senior outside hitter Marta Cvitkovic has led the charge for the Bulls and currently sits in third place in The American for career aces (129) and aces per set (0.39). This season, Cvitkovic is on pace to tie the single-season aces per set record, averaging 0.52 aces per set in 2023.
THE AMERICAN IN THE RPI
Five American Athletic Conference schools currently rank in the Top 100 in the latest RPI rankings. SMU leads the way at 32, followed by Rice (41), Wichita State (56), Tulsa (71) and Temple (100).
DISHING ‘EM OUT
Florida Atlantic enters the weekend leading The American and ranked 5th in the NCAA in assists per set with 13.2. Victoria Hensley (8.59) and Noelle Stephens (3.80) lead the Owls in assists per set, as Hensley has 601 total assists on the season, while Stephens has 213.
SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Friday, October 13
Charlotte at South Florida* (ESPN+)____________ 6 p.m.
East Carolina at Temple* (ESPN+)______________ 6 p.m.
UAB at Memphis* (ESPN+)_____________________ 7 p.m.
UTSA at North Texas* (ESPN+)_________________ 7 p.m.
Wichita State at Tulane* (ESPN+)_______________ 7 p.m.
Florida Atlantic at Rice* (ESPN+)_______________ 7 p.m.
SMU at Tulsa* (ESPN+)________________________ 7:30 p.m.
Saturday October 14
East Carolina at Temple* (ESPN+)______________ 1 p.m.
Wichita State at Tulane* (ESPN+)_______________ 1:30 p.m.
SMU at Tulsa* (ESPN+)________________________ 4 p.m.
UAB at Memphis* (ESPN+)_____________________ 5 p.m.
Sunday, October 15
Charlotte at South Florida* (ESPN+)____________ 2 p.m.
UTSA at North Texas* (ESPN+)_________________ 3 p.m.
* denotes American Athletic Conference game
All times ET and subject to change
