Oct. 22, 2007

IRVING, Texas - Conference USA is heading down the home stretch of the 2007 campaign as only three weeks remain in regular season action. League leader Marshall (16-8, 9-1 C-USA) will be tested as the Thundering Herd travels to Texas for matches against Rice and Houston this week. The final televised C-USA regular season volleyball match is set for Sunday., Oct. 28 as Tulane travels to Tulsa for 1 p.m. match inside the Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Okla. Air date for the match is Tues., Oct. 30, at 9 p.m. CT.

OCT. 22: C-USA VOLLEYBALL NOTEBOOK & STATISTICS

UPCOMING MATCHES (ALL TIMES CT)
Tue., Oct. 23
Ole Miss at Memphis, 7 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 26
*UAB at UCF, 6 p.m.
*East Carolina at Houston, 7 p.m.
*Marshall at Rice, 7 p.m.
*Memphis at Southern Miss, 7 p.m.
*Tulane at SMU, 7 p.m.
*UTEP at Tulsa, 7 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 28
*Memphis at UCF, 12 p.m.
*East Carolina at Rice, 1 p.m.
*Marshall at Houston, 1 p.m.
*UTEP at SMU, 1 p.m.
*UAB at Southern Miss, 1 p.m.
*Tulane at Tulsa (CSTV), 1 p.m.

Tue., Oct. 30
New Mexico State at UTEP, 8 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 31
Tulsa at Oral Roberts, 6 p.m.

* denotes C-USA matches.

C-USA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sara Radosevic, Tulane
6-1, Jr., OH, Zagreb, Croatia (Sportska Gimnazija)
Radosevic averaged 21 kills per match and 7.00 KGP while hitting .432 for the week, including .474 against UCF and .447 versus Southern Miss. The junior added 17 digs to her 21-kill performance for her eighth double-double of the season against current Southland Conference leader Stephen F. Austin last Wednesday. Radosevic also had 22 kills against UCF and 20 vs. Southern Miss, to go along with her eight digs in each match. The 6-1 outside hitter also scored four aces (two vs. SFA and two vs. UCF) for the week. Tulane remains in second place in the league standings with a 9-2 record, one match behind league-leader Marshall's 9-1 record.This is Radosevic second Offensive Player of the Week honor this season and fifth of her career.

CO-SETTERS OF THE WEEK
Julia Silva, Tulsa
5-11, Sr., S, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (Jefferson College)
Silva posted her 22nd double-double and third triple-double last weekend. She averaged 11.56 APG and 4.00 DPG, while hitting .364 and collecting eight blocks. In Friday's 3-1 win over SMU, she produced 44 assists, 16 digs and 12 kills for a triple double. She followed that performance with 60 assists and 20 digs in a 3-2 win at SMU Sunday. This is Silva's fifth Setter of the Week honor this season and 13th of her career.

Elizabeth Fleming, Marshall
5-10, Fr., S, South Bend, Ind. (Adams)
Fleming averaged a double-double in Marshall's two wins over East Carolina last weekend. She accounted for 15.00 APG and 2.33 DPG. The freshman dished out a career-high 72 assists and had 10 digs in Sunday's 3-2 win at ECU. She also recorded 63 helpers and hustled for 11 digs in a 3-1 win Friday. Fleming has produced five double-doubles of the season. This is her second Setter of the Week honor.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jenn Miller, Tulane
5-9, So., L, San Pedro, Calif. (San Pedro)
Miller recorded 50 digs in nine games, as Tulane picked up three victories last week. The sophomore averaged 5.56 DPG and had 20 digs against current Southland Conference leader Stephen F. Austin last Wednesday. She also chipped in 18 digs against Southern Miss, while adding 12 against UCF. Tulane remains in second place in the league standings after picking up straight-game wins over UCF and USM.

TEAM CAPSULES

EAST CAROLINA
East Carolina (12-13, 3-7 C-USA) pushed rival Marshall in its two-match series but dropped 3-1 and 3-2 decisions to the Herd on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Kelley Wernert led all hitters with 27 kills while Peyton Thompson tallied a career-high 17 scores Sunday. Wernert also contributed a team-high six blocks. Katie Koop finished the match with 53 assists, her ninth contest with 51-or-more helpers. The Pirates will battle Houston on Friday at 8 p.m. before traveling five miles across town to square off against Rice on Sunday at 2 p.m.

HOUSTON
Houston (11-10 6-4 C-USA) dropped a pair of C-USA road matches to UAB, 3-2, and Memphis, 3-1. The Cougars were led by junior Justine Farmer's 18 kills and 14 digs, while freshman Hannah Sullivan added 13 kills and seven digs Sunday. Farmer, Sullivan and Kelsey King each recorded a double-double against UAB. Farmer notched 34 kills and 11 digs. Sullivan had 14 kills and 21 digs, while King added 36 assists and 12 digs. Houston will host East Carolina and Marshall this weekend.

MARSHALL
Senior OH Kelly-Anne Billingy tallied a team-high 24 kills to help Marshall to a 3-2 victory at East Carolina Sunday. Marshall (16-8, 9-1 C-USA) also defeated ECU, 3-1, Friday in Huntington. The Herd had four players finish with double-digit kills and five with 10 or more digs Sunday. Stephanie Cahill tallied 18 kills and 10 digs while Billingy added 12 digs to her 24 kills. C-USA Setter of the Week, Elizabeth Fleming notched a career-high 72 assists. Marshall travels to Texas to face Houston and Rice this weekend.

MEMPHIS
Sarah Bury recorded her eighth double-double as she recorded 19 kills and 12 digs to lead Memphis to a 3-1 win over Houston Sunday. The win was Memphis' fifth consecutive over Houston and assures the Tigers of their seventh straight season with at least a .500 season. Bury was joined by double-double performers Ashley Liford (14 kills, 10 digs) and Laura Côté (52 assists, 10 digs). Shelby Burton had 12 kills in a 3-0 win over Rice Friday. Bury and Liford put down nine kills each, while Kelsey Labrum and Rebekah Strickland added seven kills a piece. Memphis steps out of conference competition Tuesday play hosts to SEC rival Ole Miss at 7 p.m.

RICE
With solid performances from sophomores Natalie Bogan and Jessie Boulavsky, Rice (10-12, 5-5 C-USA) swept UAB Sunday. Bogan led all hitters with 17 kills while hitting .448 for the match. Bogan also matched her career-best with nine blocks. Boulavsky was an offensive force on both sides of the net, tallying 14 kills and hitting .433. The Owls return home this weekend to host Marshall on Friday at 7 p.m. and East Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m.

SMU
SMU (14-10, 4-6 C-USA) suffered a pair of tough losses to Tulsa. Three Mustangs recorded double-doubles in the 3-2 loss Sunday. Caitlin Rainbird led the offense with her ninth double-double with 24 kills and 14 digs. Freshman Kathryn Wilkerson managed her 16th double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs, while Madison Hill recorded her first double-double of the season with 47 assists and 15 digs. SMU plays host to Tulane Friday at 7 p.m. and UTEP Sunday at 1 p.m., as they continue a five-match homestand.

SOUTHERN MISS
Southern Miss (10-16, 1-6 C-USA) dropped a pair of C-USA road matches to UTEP and Tulane. The Golden Eagles took UTEP to four games before falling, but were swept by the Green Wave. Morgan Johnson led the team with 14 kills, while Amy Flarity and Maia Ivanova recorded 11 digs apiece Sunday. Ashley Petrinec posted a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs at UTEP. Southern Miss returns to action on Friday and Sunday for a weekend series against Memphis and UAB, respectively.

TULANE
Tulane (21-5, 9-2 C-USA) recorded 55 digs in its 3-0 win over Southern Miss Sunday at Fogelman Arena. The Green Wave's defensive performance helped raise over $2,200 to be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization for breast cancer research. Sophomore L Jenn Miller led the way for the Wave with 18 digs, earning her C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors. Junior OH Sara Radosevic also was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week after recording 20 kills to move into seventh place on Tulane's all-time list. Tulane takes on SMU Friday at 7 p.m. in Dallas, followed by a 1 p.m. match at Tulsa Sunday. Sunday's match will be televised nationally on CSTV, and will air tape delay on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. CT.

TULSA
Senior Fabiola Nepomuceno posted her fifth consecutive 20-kill performance, to lead Tulsa to a 3-2 victory at SMU Sunday, less than 48 hours after handing the Mustangs a 3-1 loss in Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane (20-5, 8-2 C-USA) has now won 18 of the last 22 games against SMU. Senior Julia Silva increased her league leading double-doubles to 22 with 60 assists and 20 digs, earning her C-USA Co-Setter of the Week honors. Tulsa will host UTEP Friday and Tulane Sunday, that match will be aired on CSTV with an air date of Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. CT.

UAB
UAB (17-7, 7-3 C-USA) had its 11-match home winning streak snapped by Rice Sunday as the Owls swept the Blazers. UAB's home win streak dated back to Oct. 18, 2006. Sunday's loss also snapped UAB's season-long nine-match winning streak. Senior Brianna Galvin finished with a match-best 20 digs. Senior Fernanda Domingos led the Blazers offensively with 12 kills, while junior Casey Dent added 11. UAB defeated Houston in five-games Friday. The Blazers' next match will be at UCF at 6 p.m. CT Friday.

UCF
Sophomore OH Erin Campbell recorded her seventh double-double of the season with a team-high 14 kills and 12 digs, despite UCF (9-16, 0-10 C-USA) falling at UTEP, 3-1, Sunday. Stephanie Serna also had double-digits in kills with 13, which included six in the fourth game. Defensively, Cassie Ramaekers led the Knights with 20 digs. UCF returns home for a pair of conference match-ups with UAB and Memphis Oct. 26 and 28, respectively.

UTEP
UTEP (8-14, 2-9 C-USA) won its second-straight match with 3-1 victories over UCF Sunday and Southern Miss Friday. Leading the Miners Sunday were three El Paso locals, Catherine Chavez, Amy Sanders and Elsa Reyes. Chavez notched a career-high 23 kills and recorded 16 digs to earn her 13th double-double of her career and sixth this season. Sanders was second in kills with 18, while Reyes tallied 23 digs. The Miners hit the road to face Tulsa and SMU this weekend, but return to play host to I-10 rival New Mexico State on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. in Memorial Gym.