Volleyball Wins Senior Day Thriller Against League-Leading SMU

Sunday, November 22

McGonigle Hall

12:00 p.m.

Temple University

23-8, 14-5

SMU

26-4, 16-2

SMU

Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Volleyball Wins Senior Day Thriller Against League-Leading SMU

11.22.15 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

by Ed LeFurge, Athletic Communications Intern

PHILADELPHIA – Temple volleyball sent its seniors out on top with a huge 3-2 Senior Day comeback victory over the American Athletic Conference Champion SMU Mustangs (26-4, 16-2). It was the final home match of the 2015 season for the Owls, who improve to 23-8 overall and 14-5 in the league after handing SMU just its second league loss.

The Owls struggled in a 25-18 first-set loss, but led for most of the second set before narrowly falling by a score of 25-23. Temple really picked it up the rest of the way, winning the next three sets 25-22, 25-20 and 15-12 to complete the comeback.

Offensively, the Owls had four players with double-digit kills, including sophomore Irem Asci who led all players with 24 kills. Asci posted a double-double by adding 21 digs. Middle blockers Kirsten Overton (11 kills) and Halle McCullough (12 kills) added offensive help in the middle. Outside hitter Tyler Davis also contributed to the Owls' 76 total kills, as she was able to notch 14 of her own.

Seniors Sandra Sydlik, Alyssa Drachslin and Kayla Yingling made their presence known on Senior Day, as all three had significant playing time along with McCullough. Sydlik posted six kills, 58 assists, one ace and 14 digs, while Drachslin led the team with a career-high 36 digs and six assists. Yingling rounded out the senior performances with three assists, an ace and 13 digs.

On the defensive end, Temple recorded 106 digs to the Mustangs' 98. Sophomore Dara Peric added 13 digs, the fifth Owl to record double figures.

SMU came out swinging in set one, jumping out to a 13-4 lead. Tyler Davis knocked down a kill to halt SMU's momentum, and the Owls cut it to 16-13 with a 9-3 run. From there, SMU was able to rebound, closing out the set on a pair of kills from Cailin Bula and a block from Bula and Giordano to make it 25-18.

Temple started strong in the second set, as the Owls built a 7-4 lead backed by a pair of kills from Overton and Asci. SMU answered back, tying it at 11-11. The set was tied three more times before Temple pulled away to take a 21-17 lead on an Asci kill. From there, it was all SMU as the Mustangs used a 7-2 run to close the set with a close 25-23 victory.

The Owls came out of the break on a mission, opening the set with a 6-1 run. SMU was able to cut it to three on two occasions, but Temple used kills from Overton and an Asci ace to make it 13-7. Both teams split the next 20 points and Temple led 23-17. SMU then tried to shut down the Owls as the Mustangs went on a 5-2 run, but it was the Owls who finished on top 25-22 as Asci had the final kill.

Temple continued the momentum into the fourth set as the Owls started on a 7-2 run before SMU was forced to call a timeout. The Owls kept rolling as they led 21-11 with three kills from Davis before the Mustangs started to rally off an 8-2 run. Temple called a timeout and forced a fifth set after Overton and Sydlik had a kill each to win 25-20.

In the fifth set, Temple rolled to a 7-3 start before SMU called a timeout. The Mustangs rebounded and pulled within two, 10-8, before Temple called a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Owls grabbed the next two points – holding a 12-8 lead when SMU used another timeout. The Mustangs closed the gap to just one point, 12-11, but ultimately it was the Owls who came out on top, using a 3-1 run and closing out the match with a kill from Asci for a 15-12 win.

Temple will have its regular season finale on Friday, Nov. 27 as the Owls travel down south to face the East Carolina Pirates for a 1 p.m. conference battle.