University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
Missouri State
Volleyball Swept by Stephen F. Austin and Missouri State
Sep 04, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 4, 2009
Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -
Memphis (0-5) 19 23 18 Missouri State (3-2) 25 25 25
Memphis was unable to break through the win column in the first day of the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational. The Tigers were swept by Stephen F. Austin in the first game, and despite a spirited effort in the nightcap, were handed a three-set loss by the host Missouri State Bears. The 0-5 start is the slowest for the U of M since the 1982 season.
In the second match of the day, Memphis got 10 kills and six total blocks from Emily Underwood, but the Bears, who have made four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, ultimately overpowered the Tigers to clinch a 3-0 decision.
Underwood's .455 attack percentage led the Memphis offense that also got eight kills from Katlin Inglish and seven from Altrese Hawkins.
Libero Becky Shaffer made a career-high 19 digs. The Tiger defense made nine blocks, including 12 block assists.
Stephen F. Austin (5-2) 25 25 25 Memphis (0-4) 21 14 19
Stephen F. Austin 3, Memphis 0 
In her first career start at the setter position, Memphis junior Christine Bach made a match-high 28 assists and Shaffer led all players with 17 digs, but the Tiger defense was unable to hold off a scrappy offensive performance by Stephen F. Austin in a three-set loss.
Lauren Thompson led Memphis with nine kills, while Hawkins downed eight kills and hit .412 from the right side. But the Ladyjacks out-dueled Memphis in nearly every statistical category to send the Tigers to their four-straight loss.
After falling behind early in the opening set, Memphis got a kill by Thompson and consecutive hitting errors by SFA to claim its first lead of the afternoon, 12-11. Back-to-back kills by Inglish and Carolyn Baker helped push the Tigers' run to 7-1 and give them a four-point cushion. However, three-straight miscues by the Memphis offense, followed by and SFA termination put the Ladyjacks back in the contest at 16-all. Memphis regained the lead and the serve advantage after a kill by Hawkins. Ahead 20-19, the Tigers were unable to finish off the set as they saw SFA score on six of the final seven serves to a 25-21 final.
A 7-0 run by the Ladyjacks turned a one-point contest into a 13-5 Memphis deficit, and the Tigers were never able to recover. The lead increased to 22-12, and the set ended with the Ladyjacks claiming their largest lead at 25-14. SFA hit .387 on 17 kills to go up 2-0.
The Tigers fell behind 5-1 early in the third. Kills from Bach and Inglish fueled a run that put Memphis on top 7-6. SFA scored five of the next seven points to take an 11-9 lead. They maintained the two-point cushion until Inglish scored a kill and Sines came through with a solo block to tie the set at 15-15. That was as close as the Tigers could keep the frame as the Ladyjacks put together a 6-1 surge to close out the contest.
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