Volleyball Posts Win Over Nicholls Friday Evening

Friday, September 15

Memphis, Tenn.

5 pm CT

University of Memphis

6-5

Nicholls

2-10

Nicholls

Memphis

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Sep 15, 2017 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Memphis-Nicholls Boxscore Memphis Season Statistics

Four Tigers with double-figures kills in the victory.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis junior Kelsea Bivins collected her second double-double Friday to lift the Tigers volleyball squad to a 3-0 win over Nicholls. It was the Tigers' second match of the day in the 2017 Memphis Invitational.

Memphis won the match by scores of 25-20, 25-22 and 25-21.

Bivins had 12 kills and 14 digs, and she received double-figures kills support from Natale Zanellato, Hannah Flowers and Brianna Kadiku. Zanellato added 11 kills, and Flowers and Kadiku each had 10 kills.

Memphis moved above the even mark on the season at 6-5. Nicholls dropped to 2-10. The Tigers wrap up action in the Memphis Invitational vs. UT Martin Saturday morning at 10 a.m. (CT).

Head coach April Jauregui comments
"We're starting to get some things to click. In this match (vs. Nicholls), we were just looking for a more balanced attack. In this morning's match, we were pretty heavy setting to one position. We're just trying to get more experience. We're still working some things out lineup-wise. We're looking for more stability.

"We're seeing our players step up, and we're learning that we can use our depth (to our advantage). All of our players are starting to come along, and hopefully this weekend will give us what we need as we head into conference play (next week)."

Tigers Tidbits

Junior college transfer Kelsea Bivins recorded her second double-double on the day and of her Memphis career vs. Nicholls with 12 kills and 14 digs. She had 12 kills and 10 digs in Friday's earlier match vs. Louisiana Monroe.
Bivins' 14 digs were a season-best. It was her second-straight, double-figures digs match of the season.
Bivins notched her fifth-straight, double-figures kills match vs. Nicholls. She is averaging 12.8 kills in the Tigers' last five matches.
Freshman Hannah Flowers had her fifth double-figures kills match of the season (10). It was her first double-figures kills performance since Sept. 2 vs. Little Rock.
Flowers tied a season-high with five total blocks vs. Nicholls. She had five total blocks vs. UT Martin Sept. 1 at the Central Arkansas Invitational.
Redshirt freshman Natale Zanellato logged 11 kills vs. Louisiana Monroe for her third-straight, double-figures kill match of the season (and second on the day). She had 10 kills vs. Louisiana Monroe in Friday's earlier match.
Sophomore Brianna Kadiku logged her third double-figures kills performance of the season with 10 vs. Nicholls. It was her first since she had 11 kills vs. Green Bay Aug. 26.
Senior Faith Myers had 25 assists for her sixth 20-plus performance of the season.

Memphis vs. Nicholls Stats Leaders

Statistic	Memphis	Nicholls
Kills	Kelsea Bivins, 12 Natale Zanellato, 11	Brieanna Hill, 10 Emily Weimer, 8
Assists	Faith Myers, 25 Regan Comperry, 17	Jade Piper, 28
Digs	Alyssa Kronberg, 17 Kelsea Bivins, 14	Emily Venable, 23 Stephanie Tobison, 11
Total Blocks	Brianna Kadiku, 5 Hannah Flowers, 5	Sydney Lerille, 3

How It Happened

Overall Match
- Although the match had only five ties and four lead changes, Nicholls forced the Tigers to earn the victory.
- Memphis improved its record in three-set matches to 5-1.
- The Tigers have a 6-2 record when winning the opening set.
Set One (Memphis 25-20)
- Although they were unable to shake Nicholls in the set, the Tigers faced only two ties (1-all, 2-all) and trailed once early at 2-1.
- Trailing 2-1, Memphis used a 9-3 run to take a 10-5 lead and control of the set.
- Two kills apiece from Brianna Kadiku and Natale Zanellato powered the spurt.
- The Tigers built their lead to as many as nine points at 16-7, but Nicholls fought back.
- Memphis led 18-11 after a Kadiku kill, but the Colonels put together a 7-4 run to slice the lead to 22-18.
- A Keslea Bivins kill ended the Nicholls run, and two Hannah Flowers kills closed the opening set.
Set Two (Memphis 25-22)
- For the second-straight set, Memphis maintained a lead most of the way, but couldn't put away the pesky Colonels.
- There were three ties and two lead changes in the first six points.
- After the 3-all tie, the Tigers pulled ahead at 8-5 and never trailed the remainder of the set.
- Nicholls, though, remained within striking distance the entire set and closed to within one point at 11-10 and 12-11.
- From there, Memphis got some breathing room with a 5-1 run for a 17-12 advantage.
- Kills from Kadiku and Bivins spurred the run.
- The Tigers extended their lead to 19-13, before a Colonels 5-0 spurt pulled Nicholls to within one again at 19-18.
- Two kills from Bivins ended any hope of a complete comeback, stretching Memphis' lead back to three at 23-20.
- A Zanellato kill gave the Tigers the 25-22 set win.
Set Three (Memphis 25-21)
- The Tigers did not trail in the set, but, once again, Nicholls played to the end.
- There were no ties or lead changes in the game.
- Memphis built a quick 5-1 lead on kills from Flowers and Zanellato.
- From there, the Tigers extended their advantage to seven at 12-5. Two Kadiku kills spurred the run.
- The Colonels, however, used an 8-3 spurt to climb back to within two at 15-13.
- Memphis again opened up some breathing room at 20-16 on a Bivins kill, but Nicholls responded and cut the Tigers' advantage to one at 20-19.
- Nicholls, though, was unable to get the equalizer, and Memphis used two kills from Flowers down the stretch for both the set and match win.