Temple Volleyball (3-1, 0-0 American Athletic Conference) looked to open up the 2024 season in a similar fashion to how they began the 2023 campaign, which included a blazing hot 5-0 start before faltering down the stretch.
Temple did just that at McGonigle Hall during the Cherry and White Invitational this weekend. The Owls won all three of their games, losing just one set during the stretch to start the season off with a bang.
The momentum was halted by a loss to Penn State on Sunday, but Temple has started its fourth year under head coach Linda Hempton-Keith in great shape for the rest of the season.
“Looking at the weekend in totality I feel great,” Hampton-Keith said. “I’m really proud of our team and proud of their effort. It wasn’t an easy thing to play this stretch but we knew that going in and trained for it.”
FRIDAY: Temple wins 3-1 and 3-0
Temple opened up the weekend with a doubleheader on Friday afternoon and was not fazed by the extra game. They strolled to a 3-1 victory against Rider (1-2, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) to start the action.
Outside hitter Sydney Jones joined the Owls this summer and immediately made an impact in her first collegiate game. She earned kills on the Owls’ first three points to give Temple a 3-1 lead to start the first set.
However, the Broncs stormed back, taking five straight points to gain a 14-11 edge. They were unable to sustain the offensive firepower as Temple came roaring back and secured the 26-24 first-set victory. The Owls took the second set handily 25-15 to set up a chance to complete the sweep.
The Broncs were able to steal the third set to give themselves life, but Temple took the final set 25-21 to start the season off in the win column.
The Owls were back in action just an hour later to face Radford (1-2, 0-0 Big South Conference). Temple took the game with ease, never breaking a sweat as they swept the Highlanders 3-0.
Temple took the first set after falling behind 8-7 early, and the game looked like it could go Radford’s way. The Owls used an 11-3 run to find life and overtake the Highlanders to win the first set 25-17.
Radford continued to inch closer each set of the match but was never able to pick up a win. Temple held Radford in check throughout the afternoon and Davenport’s 17 kills pushed the Owls to another decisive win Friday afternoon.
SATURDAY: Temple wins 3-0
After cruising through day one of the tournament, Temple was looking to complete the event sweep. The Owls were pitted against Farleigh Dickinson (1-2, 0-0 Northeast Conference) on day two. The Knights were no match for the red-hot Owls, as Temple won in three sets to sweep the invitational.
The first set was the toughest of the day for Temple. The teams were exchanging points back-and-forth with neither squad able to pull away. FDU jumped out to an 11-9 lead, but the Owls were able to quickly respond thanks to a pair of kills from Davenport.
The two teams continued to battle back and forth and FDU found themselves leading 25-24 with a chance to take the opening set. However, the Owls stormed back with three straight points to take set one 27-25.
In the second set, Temple was on the ropes early. The Knights had a 7-2 lead, but the Owls stayed composed and chipped away at the deficit. The match was tied at 14 apiece when the Owls ripped off six straight points to take command of the set. Temple wound up winning set two 25-17.
Much like the first two sets, the Owls and Knights traded points through the early part of the third set. Temple was able to find momentum in the middle of the set to put themselves in the driver’s seat. The Owls took set three 25-18 to move to 3-0 on the season and sweep the Cherry and White Invitational.
Temple collected 45 kills throughout the three sets, led by Jones with 11 and outside hitter Christina Greene with 10. The Owls’ defense was on point, holding the Knights to a .099 hitting percentage in the match.
Davenport earned MVP honors for her efforts throughout the invitational, leading all hitters with 46 kills. Jones and middle blocker Alyssa Finister were named to the all-tournament team.
“This is just the beginning of a nice long stretch to really challenge ourselves,” Hampton-Keith said. “[The team can] see where we’re going to stack up because all of this is done in preparation for conference [play].”
SUNDAY: Temple outmatched 3-0
Just one day following the Owls’ tournament triumph, they were tasked with their toughest challenge in the blooming season — No. 7 Penn State (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten Conference).
The Owls’ last encounter with the Nittany Lions came last year in the program’s first-ever volleyball game in The Liacouras Center on Sept. 8. Penn State swept Temple 3-0 in the first matchup and the Owls met the same fate a year later.
Penn State jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the first set due to a couple of Temple errors but the Owls responded, closing the gap to just one. The Nittany Lions once again started gaining momentum but Temple continued to respond to keep it close.
The pressure became too high for the Owls as Penn State continued to build their lead as the first period advanced, eventually winning the first set 25-16.
The Owls stepped up their attack in the second set and both teams traded dominant runs. Temple kept close in the early portion with the score locked at 6-6, before Penn State took over, scoring nine unanswered points and leaving the Owls rattled.
Temple attempted to mount a comeback scoring 11 of the next 17 points to cut the lead within four. This momentum didn’t last long as Penn State finished the set with a 25-17 win after Davenport’s kill attempt missed the frame for Temple.
The third showcased even more competitive action, with the team’s trading points throughout most of it. Temple started to fold under the pressure, unable to regain any momentum and dropping the final set 25-15.
Penn State outside hitter Caroline Jurevicius led both teams with eight kills, while Jones and Davenport both finished with seven for the Owls.
“We talk about being resilient, these matches being a great opportunity for us to really lock in on who we want to be this season,” Hampton-Keith said. “We’ve got incredible potential and we are looking forward to a great season.”
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