Volleyball Preview: ECU, Cincinnati

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis volleyball team is on the road this weekend for American Athletic Conference matches at ECU and Cincinnati. The Tigers travel to Greenville, N.C., Friday to face the Pirates and then move on to Cincinnati, Ohio to meet the Bearcats.

This weekend begins a three-match road swing for the Tigers. After matches at ECU and Cincinnati, Memphis closes its 2018 season at Tulane Nov. 21.

Memphis' American Athletic Conference Road Weekend

Date/Day	Opponent	Time (CT)
Nov. 16/Friday	at ECU	6 p.m.
Nov. 18/Sunday	at Cincinnati	11:30 a.m.

Memphis/Opponent Breakdown

	Memphis	ECU	Cincinnati
2018 Record	11-16, 4-11 The American	12-14, 4-11 The American	22-7, 12-3 The American
Series		Memphis leads 22-8	Cincinnati leads 32-21
Last Meeting/2018		Memphis 3-2 win (@Memphis)	Cincinnati 3-1 win (@Memphis)
Kills Leader	Hannah Flowers, 355	Bri Wood, 216	Jordan Thompson, 715
Assists Leader	Molly Murrihy, 950	Shelby Martin, 758	Jade Tingelhoff, 681
Digs Leader	Kaitlyn Gehler, 367	Maggie Hallow, 399	Abby Williams, 366
Blocks Leader	Kelsey Walter, 117	Toya Osuegbu, 73	Dasha Cabarkapa, 121
Aces Leader	Hannah Flowers, 45	Sydney Kleinman, 18	Jordan Thompson, 45

Tigers Tidbits

Senior Sarah Marlatt will make her final trip home as a Tiger this weekend. Marlatt calls Cincinnati home, and she played her prep career at Loveland High School.
When Memphis and ECU meet Friday, the match could be a long affair. Five of the last nine match-ups have gone the distance, with the Tigers winning three of the five-setters. Memphis took the last five-setter between the two programs with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Pirates Oct. 28.
Sunday's Memphis-Cincinnati encounter features two of the league's top hitters and servers. Memphis' Hannah Flowers is fifth in kills and second in aces. For the Bearcats, Jordan Thompson is first in kills and third in aces.
Sunday's match also features two of the conference's top blockers. The Tigers' Kelsey Walter is fourth in the league in total blocks, and the Bearcats' Darsha Cabarkapa is ninth.
Kelsea Bivins went over the 500-kills milestone last weekend. She now has 517 kills for her two-year career at Memphis. Bivins transferred to Memphis from Wallace State Community College in Alabama prior to the 2017 season.
Hannah Flowers leads the team and is second in the conference with 45 service aces. It is the most service aces by a Tiger in a season since Christine Bach served 47 aces in 2008.
Hannah Flowers also has 355 kills this season, the most by a Tiger in a campaign since 2014 when Kate Gibson had 380 kills.
Molly Murrihy has 950 assists this season, the most by a Tiger in a campaign since 2014 when Veronica Zimmerman had 1,397 assists.

This week, four Tigers rank in the top-10 in four statistical categories in The American, and they are: Hannah Flowers (5^th) and Kelsea Bivins (7^th) in kills; Molly Murrihy (1^st) in assists; Flowers (2^nd) in service aces; and Kelsey Walter (4^th) in total blocks.

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Players Mentioned

Kelsea Bivins

Kaitlyn Gehler

Molly Murrihy

University of Memphis Athletics