Tulsa Volleyball to Begin Conference Play at Home Against Cincinnati

TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa Volleyball team is set to begin American Athletic Conference play on Thursday as they take on preseason favorite Cincinnati in the Reynolds Center at 7 p.m. The first 150 fans at the match will receive a Tulsa mini pennant.

Tulsa (11-1 overall) head into conference play on a nine-match winning streak and three straight weekend tournament titles. The start ties the best mark in program history through 12 matches, tying the mark set in 2002, 2004, and 2008. Tulsa's defense has been dominant to start the season, leading the nation in digs per set with 19.35 while ranking 13^th in opposing hitting-percentage (.138).

Cincinnati is led by 2015 AAC Freshman of the Year Jordan Thompson, who leads the conference in kills per set (4.64) and points per set (5.14). The Bearcats are 5-6 on the season, but have lost four out of their last five matches heading into conference play.

Last season, the Hurricane battled Cincinnati in two five-set matches, but could not come out on top. Tulsa trails the Bearcats in the all-time series, 2-3, with their last win coming at home during the 2014 season.

The Hurricane will wrap up the first weekend of American play on Saturday at home against East Carolina, who has posted the best record in the conference to start the season as they are sitting at a perfect 10-0. The match between the Hurricane and Pirates is set for noon at the Reynolds Center.

BEST START...
Tulsa's 11-1 record to start the season matches their best start in school history through 12 matches, tied with the 2002, 2004 and 2008 squad's start to a season. The 2004 team started the season off 11-1 before finishing 17-10 while the 2008 team went 13-1 on their way to a 22-11 finish. This year's squad is riding a nine-match winning streak into conference play, out-scoring their opponents 606-469 while holding them to a .115 hitting-percentage during the span.

WEEKLY AWARDS...
Tulsa senior libero Brooke Berryhill was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week after helping TU to their ninth straight win and third consecutive tournament title this weekend. Berryhill racked up 78 digs in 12 sets over the weekend, averaging 6.50 digs per set over the three-match span. In a 3-1 win over cross-town rival Oral Roberts on Friday, the senior tallied a weekend-best 30 digs for the Hurricane. The award marks the second time this season that Berryhill has been named DPOY and the fourth time in her career.

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE...
The Golden Hurricane are ranked high nationally in multiple defensive categories, including a nation-best 19.35 digs per set. Tulsa also ranks 13th in opposing hitting-percentage, holding their opponents to just .138 through 12 matches this season. Individually, Brooke Berryhill ranks seventh in the country in digs per set with 5.48 while sitting at 23 in total digs (252).

RECORD WATCH...
Brooke Berryhill needs just three digs to become the second player in Tulsa history to eclipse the 2,000 digs mark. Jessica Adams (2009-12) is the all-time digs leader at TU with 2,437 and is currently 440 ahead of Berryhill.

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Full Weekly Notes

Tulsa Volleyball to Begin Conference Play at Home Against Cincinnati

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Players Mentioned

Brooke Berryhill