Tulsa Faces UCF in First Round of 2019 American Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Championship

Match Notes | Tournament Bracket (PDF) | Tournament Central
TULSA, Okla. - Regular season competition for the Tulsa volleyball team has come to an end, but the postseason action is right around the corner. The Golden Hurricane (15-14, 8-8 The American) are set to play UCF in the first round of the inaugural 2019 American Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Championship on Friday at 2:30 p.m. at The Venue in Orlando, Fla.

The Golden Hurricane secured the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament, while the Knights (21-7, 14-2) hold the No. 3 seed.

The tournament is comprised of six teams, all of whom clinched berths two weeks ago. However, no seeds were solidified until this past weekend. The tournament features the top two teams from the East and West Divisions, while the remaining two bids were awarded to the best remaining teams overall. Cincinnati is the No. 1 seed, followed by SMU with the No. 2 seed. The Bearcats and Mustangs were each awarded an opening-round bye. In addition to Tulsa and UCF, Houston and Tulane secured the No. 4 and 5 seeds, respectively.

Tulsa claimed the No. 6 seed outright last Friday, following a four-set loss to Wichita State.

Friday's contest will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams, and the 21st all-time. The two played at Donald W. Reynolds Center on October 20, as Tulsa suffered a straight sets loss to UCF [25-17, 25-13, 25-23]. The Golden Hurricane hold a 12-8 advantage in the series, but the Knights have won five of the last six matches.

The Golden Hurricane were picked to finish the season fourth in The American Preseason Coaches' Poll. Tulsa started the season slowly, posting a 1-3 record through four contests. But sixth-year head coach Ryan Wills (105-82 overall) got the Golden Hurricane back on the winning track, as they claimed 10 of 14 matches.

On Wednesday, the Golden Hurricane had two players earn All-Conference honors. Senior Taylor Horsfall and freshman Dilara Gedikoglu were both named First Team All-Conference.

In addition, Horsfall won Libero of the Year for the second time in her career. Gedikoglu was also named Freshman of the Year. It marks the second time in program history that two Golden Hurricane earned first team accolades and won individual awards in the same campaign.

UCF is coming off a strong season, as they recorded the second-best record in The American. After going undefeated in conference play during the 2018 campaign (18-0), the Knights went 14-2 this season, suffering their lone losses to Cincinnati. UCF has been nearly unbeatable at The Venue, posting a 22-4 record vs. conference foes in Orlando over the last three seasons.

The Knights had three student-athletes receive First Team All-Conference selections on Wednesday. McKenna Melville, who was one of two unanimous selections this season. She was joined by senior Kristin Fisher and junior Anne-Marie Watson.

UCF head coach Todd Dagenais (233-147 overall) is in his 12th season with the Knights. He has guided UCF to 20+ wins in four consecutive seasons and berths in two of the last four NCAA Tournaments.

Friday's match will stream live on Facebook via the American Digital Network. The winner of the match will advance to the semifinals and face No. 2 SMU on Saturday at 12 noon CT.

Fans can get a behind the scenes view of the volleyball team's trip throughout the day on Thursday, as the Golden Hurricane takeover the Instagram Story on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane account.

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

Tournament Field
1. Cincinnati (24-5, 15-1 The American)
2. SMU (18-8, 11-5)
3. UCF (21-7, 14-2)
4. Houston (16-15, 10-6)
5. Tulane (20-9, 10-6)
6. Tulsa (15-14, 8-8)

Tournament Schedule
Friday, November 22 -- First Round (American Digital Network)
Match 1: [6] Tulsa vs. [3] UCF -- 2:30 p.m. CT
Match 2: [5] Tulane vs. [4] Houston -- 5 p.m. CT

Saturday, November 23 -- Semifinals (American Digital Network)
Match 3: Tulsa/UCF vs. [2] SMU -- 12:00 noon CT
Match 4: Tulane/Houston vs. [1] Cincinnati -- 2:30 p.m. CT

Sunday, November 24 -- Championship (ESPNU)
Match 5: Match 3 Winner vs. Match 4 Winner -- 12:30 p.m. CT

Tulsa Faces UCF in First Round of 2019 American Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Championship

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Players Mentioned

Dilara Gedikoglu

Taylor Horsfall