Volleyball Falls To USF In Five Sunday

Sunday, October 1

Memphis, Tenn.

1 pm CT

University of Memphis

7-9, 0-4

USF

6-8, 1-3

USF

Memphis

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Oct 01, 2017 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Memphis-USF Boxscore Memphis Season Statistics Memphis Conference Statistics Only

Kadiku with career-high 15 kills, Bierria with a double-double.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis sophomore Brianna Kadiku logged a match-high 15 kills and added a team-best tying six total blocks, but USF came away with a 3-2 marathon five-set victory over the Tigers Sunday.

The Bulls won the match by scores of 26-24, 25-18, 23-25, 16-25 and 15-13. The loss dropped the Tigers to 7-9 overall and 0-4 in the conference. USF improved to 6-8 overall and 1-3 in the league.

Sophomore Tai Bierria posted a double-double of 10 kills and 10 digs, and freshman Hannah Flowers added 10 kills.

Up Next
Memphis takes to the road again with matches at Houston and Tulane next weekend. The Tigers face the Cougars Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. (CT), and then meet the Green Wave Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. (CT). It is Memphis' fifth road trip in the season's first seven weekends.

Memphis vs. USF Stats Leaders

Statistic	Memphis	USF
Kills	Brianna Kadiku, 15 Hannah Flowers/Tai Bierria, 10	Clara Payne, 14 Doris Carter, 13
Assists	Tia Gleason, 28 Faith Myers, 24	Alex Mendoza, 51
Digs	Mady Ruhlman, 26	Faby Ribas, 25
Total Blocks	Brianna Kadiku, 6 Sarah Marlatt, 6	Clara Payne, 7

Tigers Tidbits

The Tigers had three players record double-digit kills for the second-straight match and the fourth time this season (vs. Nicholls Sept. 15; vs. UT Martin Sept. 16; vs. UCF Sept. 29).
Brianna Kadiku knocked down a career-high 15 kills. Her previous career-best was 14 kills in the season opener vs. Bradley Aug. 25. It was her fourth double-figures kills performance of the season.
For the second-consecutive match, Tia Gleason led the Tigers in assists. She had 28 assists Sunday.
Tai Bierria recorded her fifth double-double (kills-digs) of the season Sunday. Her double figures in both kills and digs were her first since she had 17 kills and 15 digs in a win over Sam Houston State Sept. 8.
Redshirt sophomore Sarah Marlatt was credited with six total blocks, which was one shy of tying her career high (7). She posted a career-best seven total blocks vs. UT Martin Sept. 1. Sunday was her fourth match of the season in which she totaled four or more blocks.
Hannah Flowers logged 10 kills Sunday for her eighth double-figures kills match of the season. On Friday vs. UCF, she downed a career-best 17 kills.
Faith Myers collected 24 assists vs. USF Sunday. It was her 12^th match with 20 or more assists this season.

How It Happened

Overall Match
- The match was the Tigers' second-straight five-setter – both in conference action – and the fourth of the season.
- Sunday's match was the first time this season Memphis lost the first two sets and forced the match into a fifth frame.
- The match had 36 ties and 16 lead changes.
Set One (USF 26-24)
- In the opening set's first 31 points, neither team had a lead larger than three points. Memphis led 4-1 early, and USF had three-point advantages of 15-12, 16-13 and 17-14.
- Brianna Kadiku got the Tigers started with a kill and a service ace in building a 4-1 lead.
- Later on when USF pushed into the lead, two Kelsea Bivins kills kept Memphis within striking distance.
- USF used a small 3-2 run to push its lead to four at 20-16.
- The Tigers, though, roared back with a 7-2 run to take a 23-22 lead.
- Kills from Kadiku, Bivins and Daija Lowe keyed the run. A combo-block from Bivins and Adjuwa Osborne put the Tigers in the lead.
- USF closed the first set with a 4-1 run for the win.
Set Two (USF 25-18)
- The second frame was close early with all eight ties coming in the first 18 points. The last tie was at 9-all.
- Three different Tigers recorded a kill in the opening segment of the set.
- From that point, USF went on a 10-3 run to grab a 19-12 advantage and control of the set.
- The Tigers climbed to within four at 22-18 on a combo-block from Lowe and Sarah Marlatt, but the run ended there.
- Two USF kills finished off the set and gave Bulls a 2-0 match lead.
Set Three (Memphis 25-23)
- The Tigers came out strong early in the third set and built an 11-7 lead.
- Kadiku and Kate Hoerdemann each had two kills in the spurt. Memphis also scored three points on service aces in the run.
- Memphis remained in front until USF edged out to a 15-14 advantage.
- The Tigers answered with a 6-2 run to grab a 20-17 lead and did not trail the rest of the set.
- USF put together a late push, pulling to within one at 24-23.
- Kadiku ended any hopes of a USF sweep with a set-ending kill for the win.
Set Four (Memphis 25-16)
- There were no ties or lead changes in the fourth set.
- Memphis jumped out to a 9-2 lead and never looked back.
- Three Natale Zanellato kills ignited the Tigers' early run.
- Memphis continued to extend its lead and built it to as many as 11 points (23-12) on the way to the set win.
Set Five (USF 15-13)
- The final frame had nine ties and five lead changes.
- USF grabbed an early 6-3 advantage only to see the Tigers use a 5-0 run to re-take the lead at 8-6.
- Two combo-blocks from Bivins and Marlatt and a Hoerdemann service ace pushed Memphis into the lead.
- The set continued back-and-forth with ties at 10-all, 11-all and 12-all.
- USF then used a small 2-0 run to take a 14-12 lead.
- Memphis held off one match point on a USF service error.
- The Bulls, though, took the set and match on a kill.