The Temple College Leopards volleyball squad will hit the road on Saturday for a battle against Southwestern Christian College in Terrell.

First serve is slated for 1 pm.

Temple looks to bounce back from a 3-1 loss to Hill College at Kirby Johnson Court on Wednesday. Scores from that match were 25-22, 25-18, 19-25, and 25-22.

The Leopards (8-20 overall, 2-13 NTJCAC) defeated the Rams (0-27 overall, 0-15 NTJCAC) 3-0 when they met at Kirby Johnson Court on Sept. 24. Scores of the match were 25-14, 25-14, and 25-12.

Yasmine Traore had 12 kills and four digs, Kharma Brown had nine kills and seven digs, Abbie Soileau added 21 assists. Karlee Williamson contributed 15 assists, and Hanna Ward aided with 15 digs for the Leopards.

Jaycee Trunkhill had four kills and four digs, and Trista Boucher had eight assists to lead the Rams. 

Not out of sight

The Temple-Southwestern match will not be on the radars of the schools ahead of them on Saturday. But that doesn't mean that Weatherford and Vernon will not have their eyes on Temple on Saturday.

Since Weatherford swept Temple on Sept. 27 and Vernon defeated the Leopards on Oct. 1, 3-1, the Leopards have gone at least four games in five of their last six matches, six of their last seven counting Vernon.

In the last five matches, the Leopards have lost 17 games by an average margin of 3.8 points. Just two of those were by more than seven points, and four of the 17 were by seven points.

In the seven games the Leopards have won during the stretch, they have an average margin of victory of 4.4 points.

Temple hosts No. 2 Weatherford on Wednesday at Kirby Johnson Court in their final home game of the season. The Leopards travel to Vernon next Saturday (Nov. 1). The Coyotes have already locked up the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference regular season championship, and Vernon, going into the weekend, is in a third-place tie with Ranger at 10-5. Together, they lead Cisco College and McLennan Community College, locked up in a fifth-place tie with an 8-7 record, by two games with three to play. The top four teams in the conference will earn berths in the Region V Volleyball Tournament at Weatherford College's Graber Center Nov. 6-8.

Odd trends of the season

The Leopards are 8-20 in matches this season, and 38-66 in sets withing the match. Thirteen matches have went to a fourth set, and five of the 13 have went to a five-game decision.

Game one record through 28 games: 12-16

The Leopards are 6-6 in victorious set one matches.

Game two record through 28 games: 8-20

TC is 6-2 in matches where they won game two.

Game three record through 28 games: 10-18

In matches where the Leopards won game three, they are 7-3.

Game four record through 28 games: 4-9

Temple is 3-1 when they won their fourth game.

Game five record through 28 games: 2-3