Friday, November 8
Denton
6 p.m.
University of North Texas
vs
Western Kentucky
Volleyball Faces No. 22 WKU On Senior Night
11/7/2019 4:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
DENTON – Mean Green volleyball will face a ranked opponent for the third time this season as No. 23 Western Kentucky travels to Denton for a 6 p.m. match on Friday. The Mean Green will hit the road on Sunday to face UTEP at 2 p.m. in the final road match of Conference USA play, looking to lock up a perfect road record in conference play.
Prior to Friday's match, the Mean Green's two seniors will be honored as part of the senior ceremony. Olivia Petnicki and Jill Duffin will be honored in their second to last match at the Mean Green volleyball center. Both spent two years at North Texas as transfers.
"They both brought different things to the program," head coach Andrew Palileo said. "They both have grown as players in their time here."
Duffin, a McKinney native, started her career at Rutgers in 2017 before moving back home prior to the 2018 season. She missed 2018 with an injury redshirt. She finally made her North Texas debut in 2019 against Pepperdine. She's appeared in 24 sets this season, picking up 15 kills and five blocks.
"Jill brought a bit of depth when she arrived," Palileo said. "She didn't get to play a lot. But she was always trying to get back. She brought a positive mentality to our team."
Petnicki, a California native, became an immediate contributor in 2018 after transferring from Pacific University. She appeared in 89 sets in 2018 with 203 digs averaging 2.28 digs per set. This season she has taken on a new role as a leader off the bench, appearing in 45 sets.
Her influence is apparent in helping freshmen liberos Aleeyah Galdeira and Jordan Burks adjust to the college level.
"Olivia provided us with some leadership," Palileo said. "She's really worked into the type of player that was able to get on the court and transform her game. It's apparent with the little things. Things that she will tell them that you don't see. It comes in little conversations on the side and help them along as much as she can."
The Mean Green are coming off two road wins at FIU and FAU, both going to five sets. Western Kentucky is the second ranked opponent to visit Denton. The Mean Green fell to No. 17 Rice in three sets on Sept. 29. WKU has spent four weeks in the Top 25.
"This is what we prepare for," Palileo said. "The challenge is there and this is what we've talked about. This is the type of team we want to play, and the level of competition we want to face. I think we will match up well against Western."
Tickets are available online. You can follow along with live stats here, or with live tweets by following @MeanGreenVB.
Prior to Friday's match, the Mean Green's two seniors will be honored as part of the senior ceremony. Olivia Petnicki and Jill Duffin will be honored in their second to last match at the Mean Green volleyball center. Both spent two years at North Texas as transfers.
"They both brought different things to the program," head coach Andrew Palileo said. "They both have grown as players in their time here."
Duffin, a McKinney native, started her career at Rutgers in 2017 before moving back home prior to the 2018 season. She missed 2018 with an injury redshirt. She finally made her North Texas debut in 2019 against Pepperdine. She's appeared in 24 sets this season, picking up 15 kills and five blocks.
"Jill brought a bit of depth when she arrived," Palileo said. "She didn't get to play a lot. But she was always trying to get back. She brought a positive mentality to our team."
Petnicki, a California native, became an immediate contributor in 2018 after transferring from Pacific University. She appeared in 89 sets in 2018 with 203 digs averaging 2.28 digs per set. This season she has taken on a new role as a leader off the bench, appearing in 45 sets.
Her influence is apparent in helping freshmen liberos Aleeyah Galdeira and Jordan Burks adjust to the college level.
"Olivia provided us with some leadership," Palileo said. "She's really worked into the type of player that was able to get on the court and transform her game. It's apparent with the little things. Things that she will tell them that you don't see. It comes in little conversations on the side and help them along as much as she can."
The Mean Green are coming off two road wins at FIU and FAU, both going to five sets. Western Kentucky is the second ranked opponent to visit Denton. The Mean Green fell to No. 17 Rice in three sets on Sept. 29. WKU has spent four weeks in the Top 25.
"This is what we prepare for," Palileo said. "The challenge is there and this is what we've talked about. This is the type of team we want to play, and the level of competition we want to face. I think we will match up well against Western."
Tickets are available online. You can follow along with live stats here, or with live tweets by following @MeanGreenVB.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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