Jovanovic Leads Tigers to Wins Over UIC and Belmont

Friday, September 14

Memphis, Tenn.

12:00 PM

University of Memphis

UIC

Marija Jovanovic registered 21 kills against UIC and 14 against Belmont.

Jovanovic Leads Tigers to Wins Over UIC and Belmont

Sep 14, 2012 | Women's Volleyball

Sept. 14, 2012

Box Score vs. UIC

Box Score vs. Belmont

Memphis vs. UIC

Memphis vs. Belmont

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis volleyball team finally got to play in the friendly confines of the Elma Roane Fieldhouse one Friday when the hosted the Tiger Invitational. Marija Jovanovic led the Tigers to 3-2 victory in slugfest over UIC before the Tigers took the nightcap 3-1 over Belmont.

The first set with UIC was tight until Lauren Hawkins registered a kill that gave the Tigers a little separation, giving them an 18-16 advantage. Maja Kostic extended the lead to 22-18, the largest lead for either team in the set, with one of her three kills in the match. Jovanovic then gave the Tigers a chance at set point with a kill. However, the Flames came back and got to within 24-23 before Jovanovic ended the set with another kill.

UIC (4-7) came out firing in the second set, quickly earning a 10-4 advantage. However, Memphis scored four straight points to get within 10-8, but that was all the closer they would get as the Flames went on to even the match at 1-1 with the 25-20 second set victory. Memphis looked jumped out early in the third set, but with the Tigers leading 12-9, UIC went on a 6-0 run to gain a 15-12 advantage. From there, the Flames went on to take the set 25-19 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

Memphis bounced back in the fourth set, however, as they quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Trailing 7-5, Hawkins sparked a Tiger really with another kill. The Tigers went on to score seven of the next eight points to take a 12-8 lead. Jovanovic recorded a pair of kills on the run while Viktorija Teivane capped the spurt with a kill. Jovanovic then sparked a 5-0 run with back-to-back kills, and Aleksandra Petronijevic followed with an ace. After Hawkins and Teivane teamed up for a block, Teivane ended the run with a kill. Memphis then cruised to the 25-20 win to even the match.

The Tigers carried that momentum over to the fifth set, scoring the first four points. The Tiger lead swelled to 9-3 before the Flames called for timeout, but that couldn't slow down the Tiger attack. Memphis extended the lead to 13-5 on an Altrese Hawkins kill before Jaden Louie ended the 15-7 final set win with an ace.

Jovanovic led the Tigers with 21 kills to go along with 11 digs and a .417 attack percentage. Lauren Hawkins and Altrese Hawkins also reached double figures in kills with 12 and 11, respectively. Louie and Altrese Hawkins led the team with 15 digs apiece while Petronijevic pitched in with 12. Louie dished out 47 assists and was one of three Tigers to record a double-double in the match along with Altrese Hawkins and Jovanovic.

Memphis (4-8) started slow against Belmont, but the Tigers turned things around trailing 10-7 in the first set. A Katie Meyer kill started a quick 3-0 Tiger run to tie the set. After the Bruins (3-9) scored two points, Memphis rolled off four straight points behind the serving of Altrese Hawkins to take a 14-12 lead. The Tigers never relinquished the lead after that point, taking the set 25-21.

The Bruin offense came out firing in the second set, en route to a 6-0 lead. Memphis was never able to recover as the Bruins took the set 25-18.

Memphis shook off the second set loss and turned the script on the Bruins in the third set. The Tigers scored the first four points of the frame behind the serve of Jovanovic. Memphis extended their lead to 14-7 following a Petronijevic ace, forcing a Belmont timeout. The lead grew to 20-9 following a Bruin attack error as the Tigers took the set 25-18.

The teams traded points to start the fourth set, but the Tigers used a 6-3 run to gain an 8-5 advantage. The Bruins cut the deficit to 12-11, but the Tigers responded with an 8-2 run to take control of the set. Lauren Hawkins ended the 25-17 set victory with one over her 10 kills in the match.

Altrese Hawkins led three Tigers in double figures with 17 kills to go along with Jovanovic's 14 and Lauren Hawkins' 10. Louie posted 43 assists while Teivane led the team with 17 digs. Petronijevic and Louie weren't far behind however, recorded 16 and 15 digs, respectively.

Memphis will be in action again tomorrow when the take on Alabama A&M at 12:00 p.m. and Louisiana at 5:00 p.m. in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

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