Volleyball On The Road At Cincinnati, ECU

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – When the 2017 University of Memphis volleyball season is looked back on, it will be seen from the road – literally.

The Tigers have spent most of their 2017 campaign away from the Elma Roane Fieldhouse, and it's more of the same down the stretch. Memphis wraps up regular-season play with five of its final six matches on the road, beginning this weekend at Cincinnati and ECU. To start 2017, the Tigers played 11 of their first 14 matches on the road.

Memphis' American Athletic Conference Road Weekend

Date/Day	Opponent	Time (CT)
Nov. 10/Friday	at Cincinnati	2 p.m.
Nov. 12/Sunday	at ECU	12 p.m.

Memphis/Opponents Breakdown

	Memphis	Cincinnati	ECU
2017 Record	9-17, 2-12 AAC	10-16, 8-6 AAC	18-9, 9-5 AAC
Series		Cincinnati leads 30-21	Memphis leads 21-7
Last Meeting/2017		Cincinnati 3-0 win (@Memphis)	ECU 3-0 win (@Memphis)
Kills Leader	Tai Bierria, 212	Carly Nolan, 398	Lael Ceriani, 328
Assists Leader	Faith Myers, 600	Jade Tingelhoff, 956	Shelby Martin, 905
Digs Leader	Alyssa Kronberg, 321	Abby Williams, 333	Brandee Markwith, 513
Total Blocks Leader	Brianna Kadiku, 114	Jasmine Jones, 102	Toya Osuegbu, 108

Head coach April Jauregui comments
"We've seen a good shift in the last few weeks. Everything that we're doing, the video preparation with our staff, the weight room, we're all on the same page. We're going to keep pushing it with the same message: it doesn't matter where we are in the season or what our record is, we bring our best every day. Because even with a couple matches left, we can keep making a push and put ourselves back into the mix. Of course, we have a tough road schedule coming up, but it's just another way to test this young team. I'm proud of how they're fighting, and that's what Memphis volleyball is all about."

(On Cincinnati, ECU)
"I don't mind that they moved the Friday match up (to 2 p.m.). We went down to Tulane and played an afternoon match. Sometimes that's good, and it gives us more recovery going into the Sunday match and a tough travel to ECU. We played Cincinnati tight here at home (a couple of weeks ago). They just came off of a rough weekend and lost a five-setter last Sunday. They're going to be hungry just like we are. We're in a similar situation mentally going into this match.

"ECU is having a heck of a season. They're playing really well with a lot of confidence, but we're starting to hit our stride a little bit, too. We want to come out these next two weeks and really push and put ourselves in a good spot."

Tigers Tidbits

The Tigers close American Athletic Conference play with five of their final six on the road. That stretch begins this weekend with matches at Cincinnati and ECU. Memphis is one of two programs in the league that plays five of its final six conference matches away from home. The Tigers' travel partner, Wichita State, is the other team that also will have the same schedule to close the season.
Much has been made of the few Tigers home matches in 2017. Well, a team that can rival Memphis in that category is Cincinnati. By season's end, Cincinnati will play nine total home matches, and Memphis 12. Of course, the Bearcats have a good excuse for playing on the road so much. Their homecourt, Fifth Third Arena, is under renovations and will re-open in the fall of 2018.
The first part of the trip to Cincinnati is a homecoming for redshirt sophomore Sarah Marlatt. The 6-foot-3 middle blocker is from Mason, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. Marlatt played her prep career at Loveland High School.
When they face ECU Friday, the Tigers may want to prepare for a long match. Four of the last seven meetings versus the Pirates went gone five sets. Of the four five-setters, three were played in Greenville, N.C., and Memphis won two of those.
Sophomore Brianna Kadiku has been a blocking machine in recent matches. Kadiku is averaging nearly seven total blocks (6.8) in the last five matches. Her 114 total blocks leads the American Athletic Conference.

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Players Mentioned

Tai Bierria

Brianna Kadiku

Sarah Marlatt

Faith Myers

University of Memphis Athletics