Volleyball Adds Another 3-2 Road Win to List

Sunday, October 18

New Orleans, La.

1:00 PM

University of Memphis

Tulane

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Oct 18, 2015 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Memphis picks up fourth conference road win of the season.

By: Tammy DeGroff

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Two straight road matches, two straight come-from-behind five-set victories for the University of Memphis volleyball team (13-8, 4-4 American). The Tigers, who lost the opening set, came back to win the second, third and fifth sets in a 3-2 win at Tulane that got Memphis back to .500 in the league standings and marked the halfway point of a four-match road swing in the Tiger schedule.

"I think we turned a corner in the third set at Houston (Friday) and it carried over in to today," Head Coach April Jauregui said. "Our on the court chemistry, energy and effort was on point today. We didn't start the match well, but made adjustments and the girls really responded."

Memphis mixed things up for the match at Tulane, giving freshman middle Kelsey Walter her first career start and Michaella Moss her third start of the season. But the offense was a bit jarred to start the day, hitting .083, while the host Green Wave stormed out with a .419 hitting percentage and taking the 25-16 opening stanza.

The set change was a good one for Memphis. Memphis hit .220 in the second set and snuck out to a 25-22 set victory to tie the match at 1-all at the break.

McKenzie Hayes, who had four kills in the second set, took charge in the third, downing seven kills on 12 attacks with no errors. But Tulane hit .294 with 6 kills on 10 attacks from Sarah Ray to stay close. Down 20-19, Hayes killed two balls and teamed with Summer Morgan for a block of a Green Wave attack to push the Tigers in front 21-20. Another Green Wave attack error gave Memphis enough of a cushion to weather the set, 25-23 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

But the Green Wave was not done. The home team got a big lead to start the fourth set, leading by as many as six points after a 10-5 lead. But a pair of attack errors and a Catlin Lilly kill helped Memphis whittled the deficit to two at 17-15. Memphis stayed close, but could never bridge the gap from there as Tulane tied the match at 2-all with a 25-23 fourth set score.

It was Memphis that got an early jump on the fifth set, leading 4-1 before Tea Juric scored the next four points for Tulane with three kills and a service ace, tying the score at five. The teams tied up at each of the next four points before a Tiger block from Veronica Zimmerman and Walter was followed up with a Green Wave attack error for an 11-9 Tiger lead. The two teams would exchange points until Zimmerman followed up a Lilly kill with a service ace for a 14-11 lead. Tulane would get a kill and would block a Tiger attack to get to 14-13 down, fighting off match point three times and forcing a Memphis timeout. Out of the timeout, the Tigers would run down a ball that Lilly killed for the 15-11 fifth set win and a 3-2 match score.
"That final point of the match epitomizes how I want this team to play," Jauregui said. "Go for every ball. Sacrifice your body for the play, never quit. It sounds cliché but to watch our football team beat Ole Miss and the way they fight and play is inspiring to our team. That is the Memphis way. Grind it out!"

Hayes led Memphis with 17 kills while Lilly added 14 kills and 12 digs for her second double-double of the weekend. Mady Ruhlman led the defense with 19 digs, while Morgan led Memphis with five blocks. Zimmerman also added a double-double, finishing with 42 assists and 14 digs and adding a game-high three service aces.

Tea Juric led Tulane with 18 kills, while Sarah Ray finished with 14 and Aubrey Folk added 10.

Memphis is back in town for practice this week, but goes back on the road this weekend for another American Athletic Conference series. Before the Tiger football team plays at Tulsa Friday night, the volleyball Tigers will face Tulsa at 3 p.m. in the Reynolds Center adjacent to H.A. Chapman Stadium. Memphis then stays on the road to play at league-leading SMU, Sunday, at 1 p.m. in Dallas.