9/15/04

Texas Volleyball ranked among nation's best in NCAA stats

AUSTIN, Texas - In addition to setting the school record for consecutive games won to start a season (21), the 2004 Texas volleyball team has made an impact in the national volleyball landscape. According to the latest NCAA statistics release (Sept. 14), UT leads the nation in both hitting percentage and winning percentage and has a pair of players listed in the individual rankings.

With a .386 hitting percentage as a team, Texas leads the nation by 38 points in the category as Washington is second with a .348 mark. Only nine teams nationally have a team hitting percentage of .300 or higher. UT leads Oklahoma (.279) - the next-highest Big 12 Conference school - by 107 points.

Starting the season 7-0, Texas also is one of 20 undefeated teams left in Division I, all of which lead the country with a 1.000 winning percentage. Three Big 12 teams - Kansas (8-0), Oklahoma (8-0) and UT - remain undefeated.

In addition to their stellar hitting percentage, the Horns are also ranked ninth in the nation in kills per game with a 17.19 mark (Tennessee leads with a 18.30 kills/game average), and are ranked 12th in assists per game with a 15.62 mark (Minnesota leads with a 16.53 assists/game average).

Individually, senior Mira Topic (Kastela Kambelovac, Croatia) is ranked fourth in the nation in hitting percentage (.500) and 23rd in the nation in kills per game (4.95). Senior Bethany Howden (Austin, Texas) is also ranked in the hitting percentage, gaining a tie for 13th with her .429 mark.

The NCAA releases updated national statistics every Tuesday. Each week's release, as well as releases from years past, can be viewed at www.NCAA.org/stats.

The Longhorns open their Big 12 schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 15, when they travel to Baylor for a 7 p.m. match against the Lady Bears. The team returns home to Gregory Gym on Saturday, Sept. 18, when Colorado comes to town for a 6:30 p.m. Big 12 Conference match.