Volleyball Preview: Connecticut, Temple

Friday, November 9

Memphis, Tenn.

7 pm

University of Memphis

Connecticut*

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Nov 08, 2018 | Women's Volleyball

Tigers seniors to be honored prior to Sunday's match.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis volleyball team returns back home to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse this weekend for its final home matches of the 2018 season. The Tigers wrap up their home slate against Connecticut Friday and Temple Sunday.

Prior to Sunday's match, Memphis will hold its Senior Day ceremonies for its five seniors. The festivities start at approximately 11:45 a.m. (CT). The five seniors are: Kelsea Bivins, Martina Faietti, Sarah Marlatt, Mady Ruhlman and Kelsey Walter.

Memphis' American Athletic Conference Home Weekend

Date/Day	Opponent	Time (CT)
Nov. 9/Friday	Connecticut	7 p.m.
Nov. 11/Sunday	Temple (Senior Day)	12 p.m.

Memphis/Opponent Breakdown

	Memphis	Connecticut	Temple
2018 Record	11-14, 4-9 The American	12-14, 4-9 The American	5-20, 2-11 The American
Series		Series tied 6-all	Temple leads 9-2
Last Meeting/2018		Memphis 3-2 win (@Storrs)	Temple 3-0 win (@Philadelphia)
Kills Leader	Hannah Flowers, 340	Caylee Parker, 346	Katerina Papazoglou, 196
Assists Leader	Molly Murrihy, 872	Emma Turner, 937	Tyler Lindgren, 533
Digs Leader	Kaitlyn Gehler, 338	Elizabeth Kline, 416	Mia Heirakuji, 379
Blocks Leader	Kelsey Walter, 114	Genna Florig, 73	Iva Deak, 69
Aces Leader	Hannah Flowers, 44	Iman McGary, 18	Mia Heirakuji, 21

Head coach Sean Burdette comments
"When we played UConn before, it was a five-setter on the road. It was a dog fight back-and-forth with them. They are a very athletic, very balanced team with a good setter. It will take our best effort. We had a great serving match against them last time. For us, it's all about serve and pass. If we receive serve well and get other teams out of system with our serve, it gives us a good opportunity.

"I don't think we played our best volleyball against Temple last time. It's also our Senior Day on Sunday, and I'm looking forward to it. The players are excited about being home one last time.

"One of the neatest things about these seniors is what they set their minds to, what they bought into and the foundation they wanted to lay. They'll be able to come back in five or 10 years and say, 'I was the cornerstone for that.' Those five seniors have been big contributors throughout the season. As for Sunday's match, we treat it the same as other matches. We will honor the seniors before the match, but at the end of the day, we want to win."

Tigers Tidbits

Memphis and Temple are meeting for the 12^th time, and all 12 encounters – including this Sunday – have come as American Athletic Conference foes. As for Connecticut, Friday's match is Memphis' 13^th time it has faced the Huskies. Eleven of the previous 12 match-ups were as league opponents. The Tigers and Huskies also had one non-conference match as part of the 1991 Connecticut Challenge in Storrs.
The Tigers won their last meeting over Temple played at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse last season. Memphis posted a 3-2 victory over the Owls on Nov. 3, 2017.
The Tigers ended Connecticut's five-match win streak in the series with their thrilling 3-2 win in Storrs, Conn., earlier this season (Oct. 21).
Memphis' last win over Connecticut at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse came in the 2014 campaign, a 3-1 victory on Nov. 2, 2014.
Kelsea Bivins enters play this weekend with 494 kills, just six shy of 500 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 44 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 340 kills this season, the most by a Tiger in a campaign since 2014 when Kate Gibson had 380 kills.
Molly Murrihy has 872 assists this season, the most by a Tiger in a campaign since 2014 when Veronica Zimmerman had 1,397 assists.
Friday's match features the league's top two playmakers in Memphis' Molly Murrihy and Connecticut's Emma Turner. Turner leads the American Athletic Conference with 937 assists, and Murrihy is second with 872 assists.
Kaitlyn Gehler's play at libero has picked up in recent matches, and the stats prove it. In the last 10 matches, Gehler has 176 digs (17.6 per match) and posted double-figures digs in nine of those matches. She had a career-high 33 digs in the 3-2 win over ECU Oct. 28. In the first 15 matches of the season, Gehler had 162 digs (10.8 per match) and eight double-digit digs performances.
This week, four Tigers rank in the top-10 in five statistical categories in The American, and they are: Hannah Flowers (10^th) in hitting percentage; Flowers (4^th) and Kelsea Bivins (7^th) in kills; Molly Murrihy (2^nd) in assists; Flowers (2^nd) in service aces; and Kelsey Walter (4^th) in total blocks.