Volleyball Defeats UAB In Skyhawk Invitational

Saturday, September 1

Martin, Tenn.

5 pm

University of Memphis

3-5

UAB

5-2

UAB

Memphis

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Sep 01, 2018 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Boxscore (UM 3, UAB 0)Memphis Season Statistics

Bivins named to all-tournament team, Flowers with career-high kills.

MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Memphis' Hannah Flowers knocked down a career-high 19 kills and Kelsea Bivins added 14 kills to lift the Tigers to a 3-0 victory over UAB in UT Martin's Skyhawk Invitational Saturday. The match was the Tigers' final one of the two-day tournament.

Memphis won the match by scores of 25-21, 26-24 and 25-19. With the victory, Memphis improves to 3-5. The Blazers fall to 5-2. The Tigers finished the Skyhawk Invitational with a 2-2 mark.

After coming within one of tying her career high in two matches earlier this week, Flowers surpassed that mark with her 19 knockdowns in the win over the Blazers. She had 17 kills in a home match versus UCF last season.

Bivins earned Skyhawk Invitational All-Tournament Team honors. In the four matches this weekend, she logged 55 kills, 33 digs and nine total blocks. Bivins had a .336 hitting percentage. It is the second all-tournament team accolade of her career, as she was named to the Lady Techster Invitational All-Tournament Team last year.

Memphis returns to action next weekend when it hosts the Tiger Invitational Sept. 7-8 at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The Tigers welcome Louisiana Monroe, North Alabama and Tennessee Tech to the Bluff City for the two-day tournament.

Tigers Tidbits

Kelsea Bivins posted the 15^thdouble-figures kills match of her career in the win over UAB. She had double-digit kills in three of the four matches this weekend.
Hannah Flowers registered her fifth-straight, double-figures kills match of the season. She had 55 kills in this weekend's four matches.
Molly Murrihy recorded her second double-double of the season with 40 assists and 11 digs.
Kelsey Walter had a match-high six total blocks. She finished the weekend with 26 total blocks.

Head coach Sean Burdette comments
"Our team continues to fight every set, every match. After two long and emotional matches yesterday, we came out today and improved. Losing the first match of the day to Central Arkansas was tough as we had some opportunities that we didn't convert.

"The team came back out this evening against a very strong UAB squad and stuck to the game plan with a determined focus. Hannah and Kelsea elevated their games to the next level with the high-quality swings they took. Our blocking – led by Sarah and Kelsey – was a big factor in holding UAB's hitters at bay. This was a great team effort tonight."

Statistic	Memphis Leaders	UAB Leaders
Kills	Hannah Flowers, 19	Alex Kells, 10
Assists	Molly Murrihy, 40	Shelby Holderfield, 34
Digs	Kaitlyn Gehler, 16	Brianna Muller, 19
Blocks	Kelsey Walter, 6	Abby Carlile, 3

Set One

The Tigers pulled out in front in the first 18 points (11-7) and never trailed the remainder of the set.
Anna Palmer's three kills and Sarah Marlatt's two knockdowns ignited Memphis early.
UAB cut the Memphis lead to one at 13-12, but the Tigers extended their advantage again.
Memphis put together a 6-3 spurt for a 19-15 lead.
Kelsea Bivins had three kills in the run.
The Tigers maintained their four-point advantage the rest of the way and won the set 25-21.

Set Two

The set opened with two ties at 1-all and 2-all, and then UAB pulled out to a lead.
The Blazers built a 10-5 lead and held that five-point cushion up to 23-18.
The Tigers then made a major comeback.
Memphis won six-consecutive points to grab its first lead of the set at 24-23.
Kelsey Walter, Hannah Flowers and Bivins each had a kill in the surge.
UAB tied the set at 24-all, but another Flowers kill and a Kaitlyn Gehler service ace gave Memphis the 26-24 victory.

Set Three

The set opened with four ties in the first 16 points.
UAB grabbed a 12-10 lead with a 4-2 run.
The Tigers answered with their own 4-2 run to tie the set at 14-all.
Walter and Flowers each had two kills in the spurt to account for all of the Memphis scoring.
The score was tied three more times, with the last coming at 17-all.
The Tigers put together a set-ending 8-2 run for the 25-19 win and the 3-0 match victory.