Tulsa Volleyball Set to Open American Competition vs. Wichita State, ECU

Match Notes (PDF)
TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa volleyball team is set to open American Athletic Conference competition this weekend, as Wichita State and ECU come to town.

The Golden Hurricane (7-6) return to Donald W. Reynolds Center hosting the Shockers (3-9) on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m., followed by a match against the Pirates (12-1) on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 12 noon.

Wichita State is not a team to be underestimated. Despite losing its last six matches, four of the six have come against ranked competition, including five overall. The Shockers are a youthful team, featuring 10 freshmen. Junior middle blocker Emma Wright and sophomore outside hitter Megan Taflinger are the team's lone returning starters from last season. The two teams split the season series last year, as the Golden Hurricane captured its first win over the Shockers since 1998 in a five-set thriller. The win also ended Wichita State's 22-0 streak in The American since joining the conference in 2017. Wichita State leads Tulsa 13-31 in the all-time series.

ECU heads into the weekend with the best overall record in The American. The Pirates improved their winning streak to eight contests on Wednesday following a 3-0 sweep of Campbell. After being picked to finish ninth in the preseason coaches' poll, the Pirates are just a win shy of tying last year's win total (13). ECU is one of the top attacking teams in the country, ranking 26th with a .282 attacking percentage. The Golden Hurricane have been victorious in the all-time matchup, leading 19-2, and including three straight.

During the offseason, The American announced two changes for the 2019 season. The conference will host its first tournament Nov. 22-24 in Orlando, Fla., where the winner will secure the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Due to this addition, the conference has separated all 12 members into two divisions. Tulsa will compete in the west division, alongside Houston, Memphis, SMU, Tulane, and Wichita State. The east division is composed of Cincinnati, ECU, Temple, UCF, UConn, and USF.

Six teams will compete for The American tournament championship. The top two teams from each division will secure an automatic berth, while the remaining spots will go to the two teams with the best overall record. Additionally, the top team from each division will receive a first round bye.

Tickets for all home volleyball matches this year are $5.00 for general admission seating. A group price of $3.00 per ticket for a minimum of 15 persons is available by calling 918.631.GoTU (4688).

Friday's match is Club Volleyball Day. All youth and club volleyball teams in attendance will be able to go onto the court after the match for postgame serves. On Sunday, Tulsa will host Family Health & Fitness Day. Fans will be able to play bingo throughout the match and partake in postgame yoga, presented by Sky Fitness. Members of Sky Fitness will also receive free admission to the ECU contest.

Fans unable to attend Tulsa home matches in person can watch the Golden Hurricane live on TulsaHurricane.com/watch. There is a 24HR Pass, a Monthly Pass and Yearly Pass that allows you to watch all TU home men's and women's soccer, volleyball and softball games depending on the package purchased.

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

Tulsa Volleyball Set to Open American Competition vs. Wichita State, ECU

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