Tigers Volleyball Wins Five-Setter Friday

Friday, September 8

Ruston, La.

10 am CT

University of Memphis

3-4

Sam Houston State

1-7

Memphis

Sam Houston State

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Sep 08, 2017 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Memphis-Sam Houston State Boxscore Memphis Season Statistics

Memphis posts 3-2 victory over Sam Houston State in the Lady Techster Invitational.

RUSTON, La. – University of Memphis sophomore Tai Bierria posted a career-high 17 kills, including five critical scores in the final two sets, to lead the Tigers to a marathon 3-2 victory over Sam Houston State Friday morning. Memphis won the match by scores of 25-22, 20-25, 31-33, 25-23 and 15-10.

The match was Tigers' first in the 2017 Lady Techster Invitational. Memphis returns to action at 7 p.m. (CT) tonight against host Louisiana Tech.

The Tigers' record now is 3-4. The Bearkats are 1-7.

2017 Lady Techster Invitational Schedule

Date/Day	Opponent	Time (CT)
Sept. 8/Friday	Louisiana Tech	7 p.m.
Sept. 9/Saturday	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	10 a.m.

Tigers Tidbits

Sophomore Tai Bierria's previous career-high for kills was 14 twice vs. Eastern Illinois earlier this season and at Temple in 2016.
Bierria also collected 15 digs for the fifth double-double performance of her career. The 15 digs match was the ninth double-figures performance of her career.
Junior college transfer Kelsea Bivins recorded her first double-figures kills match of her young Memphis career (12 kills). She also posted three total blocks in Friday's match.
Freshman Alyssa Kronberg logged 20 digs for her sixth double-figures digs performance in seven matches this season. It also was her fourth match with 20 or more digs this season.
Freshman Kate Hoerdemann posted the first double-figures digs match of her career. She had 11 digs vs. Sam Houston State Friday.
Senior Faith Myers recorded her fifth 20-plus assists match of the season Friday. She had 26 assists vs. the Bearkats.

Memphis vs. Sam Houston State Stats Leaders

Statistic	Memphis	Sam Houston State
Kills	Tai Bierria, 17 Kelsea Bivins, 12	Brooke White, 27 Jordyn Vaughn, 20
Assists	Faith Myers, 26 Regan Comperry, 16	Jaclyn Ward, 57
Digs	Alyssa Kronberg, 20 Tai Bierria, 15	Addison Miller, 19 Brooke White, 15
Total Blocks	Hannah Flowers, 5 Brianna Kadiku/Kelsey Walter, 4	Taylor Cunningham, 5

How It Happened

Overall Match
- Memphis played its second five-set match this season, this time coming out on top 3-2.
- The Tigers were down 2-1 in sets and 20-16 in the fourth set, but came back to tie the match at 2-2 with a gut-check 25-23 win.
- The match had 31 ties, but only nine lead changes. Of the 31 ties, 27 were in the final three sets.
Set One (Memphis 25-22)
- The Tigers jumped out to an 8-2 lead behind kills from Tai Bierria, Hannah Flowers and Brianna Kadiku and a service ace from Regan Comperry.
- Sam Houston State stormed back with a 10-4 spurt to knot the set at 12-all.
- A Bierria kill in a 3-0 run gave Memphis some breathing room at 15-12.
- The Bearkats tied the set once more at 16-all, but never grabbed the lead.
- Bierria logged the final two points of the set – both kills – and Memphis took a 1-0 match lead.
Set Two (Sam Houston State 25-20)
- The second set had only one tie and no lead changes.
- After a 1-all tie, Sam Houston State pulled out to a 6-2 lead and never trailed in the set.
- The Bearkats held their largest lead at seven points on four occasions in the set.
- After trailing 6-2, the closest Memphis got was within three the remainder of the set.
Set Three (Sam Houston State 33-31)
- The set was the longest of the season to date for the Tigers.
- There were 12 ties in the set, and nine of those 12 came from 23-all through 31-all.
- Sam Houston State grabbed an early 6-1 advantage and held a lead until the Tigers tied the set at 17-all. Kelsea Bivins downed consecutive kills to tie the match.
- Two more Bivins' kills pushed Memphis in the lead at 23-21, but consecutive scores from Sam Houston State tied the set at 23-all. The 23-all tie was the first of nine to close the set.
- Two Sam Houston State kills closed out the set.
Set Four (Memphis 25-23)
- The fourth set remained close through the first 10 points with four ties.
- From there, the Bearkats moved out to a 10-6 advantage and maintained their lead up to 20-16.
- The Tigers, though, were not done. Two Bierria kills and one Bivins kill tied the set at 21-all. An Alyssa Kronberg service ace put Memphis in the lead at 22-21.
- Memphis got two more kills from Bierria to close the game and send the match to a fifth and deciding set.
Set Five (Memphis 15-10)
- The final set was neck-and-neck early with the teams tied at 10-all. On the way to the 10-all tie, the score was knotted seven times.
- The Tigers scored the set's final five points to take the game and match.
- Kills from Bierria and Flowers and a block from Flowers and Kelsey Walter ignited the match's final run.