Tulsa Enters Final Weekend of Regular Season at Wichita State, Cincinnati

Match Notes
TULSA, Okla. - The Tulsa volleyball team concludes regular season competition in the American Athletic Conference this weekend at Wichita State and Cincinnati. The Golden Hurricane (15-12, 8-6 The American) will aim to sweep the season series against the Shockers (7-19, 4-10) on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a trip to face the Bearcats (22-5, 13-1) on Sunday at 12 noon.

Last weekend, Tulsa secured a bid to the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The remaining five bids have also been secured – Cincinnati and UCF will represent the East Division, while Houston, SMU, and Tulane join Tulsa in the West Division. While the six teams are already locked in place, the order of the seeds remains up for grabs.

In the West Division, two games separate first through fourth place. The Golden Hurricane can land between the No. 2 seed in the West or will receive one of two at-large bids. Regardless of this weekend's outcomes, they cannot clinch the top seed in the West, as SMU won both meetings this year.

Just one win for head coach Ryan Wills' squad can make a difference in where TU is slotted in the tournament, as SMU plays host to both Tulane and Houston this weekend.

The Golden Hurricane opened the 2019 conference season vs. Wichita State. The two teams played five sets, with Tulsa hanging on for the win [25-21, 21-25, 26-24, 17-25, 15-10]. Since then, TU has gone 7-6, while WSU has gone 4-9 in league play.

Chris Lamb is in his 20th season as the Shockers' head coach. Under his tutelage, WSU has recorded 20+ wins in 15 of the last 17 seasons. Wichita State was voted to finish the 2019 campaign seventh in the American Preseason Coaches' Poll. They currently sit 10th in the standings, having lost three consecutive contests.

Friday's match will be the 46th all-time meeting between the two teams. The Shockers lead TU 31-14. If Tulsa were to secure the road win, it would mark the first time the Golden Hurricane have swept Wichita State as members of The American.

On Sunday, Tulsa and Cincinnati will meet for the first time this season. The Bearcats were picked to finish second in the preseason coaches' poll, but are just one game out from securing the top seed in the conference tournament and regular season title. Last year, Cincinnati went 26-8 overall and 15-3 in The American. After doubling their win total from 2017, the Bearcats advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Cincinnati is led by head coach Molly Alvey, who is in her eighth season atop the helm. Under her tutelage, UC is currently riding an eight-game winning streak. They have gone 19-3 over the past two seasons as the home team, including 14-1 at Fifth Third Arena.

On the court, the Bearcats are led by redshirt senior Jordan Thompson, who leads the country in kills per set (6.34) and total kills (615), while ranking second in attacks per set (13.44). Two weeks ago, she set an American record 50 kills vs. UConn, becoming the seventh Division I player to achieve 50+ kills in a match, including the first since 1999.

UC setter Armania Heckemueller is also among the best in Division I. She is racking up under 12 assists per set (11.95), which leads the nation.

To keep up with the latest news on Tulsa volleyball, visit TulsaHurricane.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Tulsa Enters Final Weekend of Regular Season at Wichita State, Cincinnati

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