Junior Class Leads Temple Volleyball to Sweep of Memphis

Friday, October 2

McGonigle Hall

7:00 p.m.

Temple University

12-3, 3-0American

Memphis

10-6, 1-2American

Memphis

Temple University

Photo by: Mitchell Leff

Junior Class Leads Temple Volleyball to Sweep of Memphis

10.2.15 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA -- Temple volleyball's three-member junior class of Kirsten Overton, Tyler Davis, and Caroline Grattan combined for 37 kills as the Owls posted a 3-0 sweep over visiting Memphis in Friday night American Athletic Conference action at McGonigle Hall. The 25-16, 25-16, 25-20 win pushed Temple to 11-3 overall, 3-0 in conference play. Memphis dips to 10-6, 1-2 in The American.

Overton, Davis, and Grattan combined for 71% of the Owls' kills, with each hitting over .333. Overton hammered 13 kills without an error to hit .722, while Davis had 13 kills, hitting .387. Grattan picked up 11 total kills and hit .333, while her and Overton each added a pair of blocks. As a team, Temple had another outstanding offensive performance, hitting over .300 in each set to finish at a .365 clip.

Senior Sandra Sydlik ran the Owls' offense, racking up 41 assists, while also posting 10 digs for a double-double. Senior Alyssa Drachslin and sophomore Dara Peric posted team-highs of 12 digs each, while sophomore Irem Asci recorded 10 digs with three kills. Rounding out the Temple highlights, sophomore Janine Simmons had four kills with a match-high five blocks.

Temple got off to a hot start, hitting .410 in the first set, with just two errors. The Owls took control at 8-8, using a 7-2 run, backed by three kills from Grattan and one from sophomore Izzy Rapacz, to push the lead to 15-10. After a sideout, Temple continued to surge, posting five-straight to take a 20-10 advantage. Memphis got no closer than a seven-point deficit, as the Owls closed out the set with a 25-16 win.

In set two, Overton and Davis combined for 10 kills, as Temple out-hit Memphis, .306 to .233. The Owls took a 3-0 lead to start play and held the advantage through to the final point. Temple led by as many as eight (16-8) before the Tigers battled back to make it 18-14 after three-straight Owl attack errors. Temple quickly rebounded, however, closing out the set on a dump from Sydlik and an ace from Asci that made it 25-16.

Set three was the closest of the night. The Owls jumped out to a 3-0 lead, before Memphis battled back to tie the set at 4-4. Temple stayed in control, however, not relinquishing its lead, despite Memphis staying within three points much of the action. The Owls got a late surge, as two blocks and three kills, including one from Asci in the back row, put Temple up 21-15. The Tigers cut the lead to 22-18 on a Michaela Moss kill, but Temple held on for the 25-20 win, taking the set and match on a Memphis service error.

Temple continues its homestand on Sunday, hosting conference-foe Cincinnati at 1:00 p.m.

Box Score (PDF) | Highlights/Interviews