Taylor Horsfall and Dilara Gedikoglu Named First Team All-Conference; Both Win Individual Awards

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A pair of Tulsa volleyball student-athletes were recognized by the American Athletic Conference on Wednesday for their performance on the court this season. Senior Taylor Horsfall and freshman Dilara Gedikoglu both garnered First Team All-Conference honors; while also capturing individual awards, respectively. Horsfall was named Libero of the Year, while Gedikoglu was awarded Freshman of the Year.

Under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Ryan Wills, the Golden Hurricane have had at least two individuals receive all-conference accolades since returning to his alma mater in 2014. However, it's the first time Tulsa has also won multiple individual league awards since 2012.

Horsfall is now a three-time all-conference recipient. The defensive specialist/libero has received First Team All-Conference honors twice, and Second Team All-Conference accolades once.

This is the second time Horsfall has been named The American's Libero of the Year, as she earned the title as a sophomore in 2017. With two Libero of the Year accolades, she becomes the second player in league history and program history to win the award on multiple occasions. At Tulsa, Horsfall joins volleyball alum Jessica Adams, who won the title when the Golden Hurricane competed in Conference USA during the 2011 and '12 campaigns.

The Houston, Texas native has been one of the top libero's in the nation since her sophomore season. During the 2017 season, she set The American and program record for most digs in a season with 755. The record still ranks first on both lists to this day. Horsfall is just the third player in program history to eclipse 2,000+ career digs. She holds four individual match records for digs, including the most in a contest (44). She has also secured three individual season records for total digs. For her career, she has 2,363 digs.

Horsfall currently leads The American and ranks fourth among Division I players in digs per set, averaging 6.12 d/s. Her 679 total digs also sit atop the conference and are the third-most both nationally and in a single season at TU. She also ranks fifth in The American with a season-best 37 service aces.

Gedikoglu becomes the second Tulsa volleyball player to win Freshman of the Year and be named to the conference's first team. The freshman outside hitter joins TU alum Tyler Henderson, who was named the top freshman and earned C-USA first team accolades in 2008. Additionally, alongside teammate Taylor Horsfall, the duo becomes the fifth tandem in program history, and first since 2012 to win individual conference awards and capture first team honors in the same season.

A native of Turkey, Gedikoglu ranks third in The American in both kills per set (4.24 k/s) and total kills (424). She is just one of four Division I freshman to tally 400+ kills this season. Among the four freshmen, she stands second in kills per set and third in total kills.

Tulsa is one of the top attacking teams in the nation, with Gedikoglu leading the offense. The Golden Hurricane lead the league and ranks sixth in the country in total attacks per set (39.01). Of the team's 4,330 total attacks, the freshman has accounted for 29% of the team's swings.

In addition to being a key offensive weapon for the Golden Hurricane, Gedikoglu ranks second on the team in digs with 291. She has recorded 14 double-doubles, including six straight earlier in the year. She has tallied double-figure kills in 23 matches. Gedikoglu has also led the team in kills in 25 contests.

Wills' bunch are set to open postseason action on Friday against UCF in a first round match at the 2019 American Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Championship. The No. 6 seeded Golden Hurricane face the Knights, who claimed the No. 3 seed and are hosting the three-day single-elimination championship at The Venue in Orlando, Fla. The contest will stream live on Facebook via the American Digital Network.

The two teams met once during the regular season. Tulsa hosted UCF on October 20, where the Golden Hurricane would suffer a straight sets loss to the defending American champions. Friday's match will be the 21st meeting between the two programs. Tulsa leads the all-time series 12-8, but has lost five of six contests.

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

Taylor Horsfall and Dilara Gedikoglu Named First Team All-Conference; Both Win Individual Awards

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