University of North Texas Athletics
Volleyball Geared For Tulsa Rematch At Oral Roberts Classic
9/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
DENTON, Texas (9/04/08) The North Texas volleyball team made huge strides at the Mean Green Volleyball Classic last weekend. Now NT takes its show to Tulsa, Okla. for a trio of tilts at the Oral Roberts Classic beginning Friday.
The Mean Green will try to avenge last year’s loss to Tulsa on Friday at 4 p.m., and will take on Fordham and Oral Roberts at 12:30 and 7 p.m. on Saturday. The Golden Hurricane is the reigning Conference USA champion and NCAA Tournament participant.
Not only did North Texas take a step forward over the weekend, but the entire Sun Belt Conference made a splash on the national scene. Six SBC teams won tournaments last weekend; UALR, Arkansas State, New Orleans, Florida International, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky.
Cal Poly transfer Salah Schoenecke led the way for North Texas, earning All-Tournament honors at the Mean Green Volleyball Classic. The sophomore posted her first career double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs against UT Arlington, and her potent jump serve kept opponents guessing all weekend.
Despite losing the NCAA’s only back-to-back national serving champion in Brooke Engel, North Texas has still managed to land its aces so far in 2007. NT posted 1.5 aces per set in the Mean Green Volleyball Classic, just behind the team’s 2007 season total of 1.7 and on par with 2006’s 1.5 per set. Roxana Casvean paved the way with eight aces on the weekend, including six against Jackson State, the most by a North Texas player other than Engel since 2002 (Brittney Gregory, 10 vs. Grambling State).
Amy Huddleston etched her name into the record books when she landed .692 percent of her attacks against Jackson State, good for 10th in school history. The sophomore tallied 10 kills against the Tigers and led the team with a .227 attack percentage over the weekend.
Getting a set started off on the right foot is very important for the Mean Green. Despite the team’s 13-23 overall record since 2007, the Mean Green is 32-26 (.552 percent) in individual sets when it reaches five points before its opponent.
