This past weekend, Temple’s women’s volleyball team snapped a 15-game-winning streak against a desperate and determined Xavier team.
The Owls were, however, able to bounce back and win in Dayton, clinching the top seed in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament and the regular season A-10 title.
The first place Owls (23-6, 13-1) went to Ohio undefeated in 12 conference games and in search of flawless A-10 record.
In a competitive match that was forced to five games, the Owls fell short, snapping the 15 game winning streak and leaving a single blemish on their otherwise perfect A-10 record.
The Musketeers (16-13, 7-7) needed this win in order to earn a place in the A-10 tournament and ensure home court advantage.
It was the Owl’s first defeat since Sep. 21.
The next day, a motivated Owl’s team went into Dayton and swept the second place Flyers (11-3) in three games.
“Overall the chemistry on our team is what has carried us so steadily through the season,” senior captain Solana Lee said.
In a return trip to Ohio, the Owls will be facing the Musketeers for the second time in two weeks.
In hopes of advancing to the A-10 Championship, the Owls will have to contain the play of setter Molly Martin, who led Xavier with 57 assists in last week’s match against the Owls.
The Owl’s must also find a way to eliminate the offensive duo of Kim Cockerel and Katey Wygant.
The Owl’s will be lead by the impressive play of A-10 Player of the Year candidate Xu Yun and sophomore setter Allison Runk.
With a supporting cast of offensive threats like Yamit Haba, the Owls are going into this weekend with last week’s loss still fresh in their minds.
Had they beaten Xavier, the Atlantic 10 Championships would have been right here on Temple’s campus.
Instead, the Owls head back to Ohio with hopes of bringing the title back to Philly.
The last time the Owls won the A-10 Championship was in 1999.
Anthony Hood can be reached at Ahoodoor@temple.astro.edu.
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