Volleyball Preview: USF, UCF

Friday, September 28

Memphis, Tenn.

7 pm

University of Memphis

USF*

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Sep 27, 2018 | Women's Volleyball

Tigers host Bulls, Knights in conference home-opening weekend.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis volleyball hosts its American Athletic Conference home openers this weekend with USF and UCF making trips to the Bluff City. The Tigers face USF Friday at 7 p.m. (CT) and UCF Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT), with both matches held at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

It's "home sweet home" for the Tigers over the next month. Memphis' contests this weekend begin a five-match homestand. USF and UCF kick off the Tigers' homestand this weekend followed by a visit from Tulane Oct. 5. The homestand wraps up with Houston Oct. 12 and SMU Oct. 14.

It is the longest conference homestand since 2008 when Memphis played six-straight league foes at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The Tigers went 5-1 in those six-consecutive conference home matches.

After a road trip to Temple and Connecticut Oct. 19-21, Memphis returns home to host Cincinnati Oct. 26 and ECU Oct. 28. That weekend gives the Tigers seven of their next nine matches at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The last time Memphis had a stretch like that in conference play was in 2008 when the Tigers played eight of their final 10 league matches at home.

Memphis' American Athletic Conference Home Weekend

Date/Day	Opponent	Time (CT)
Sept. 28/Friday	USF	7 p.m.
Nov. 30/Sunday	UCF	12 p.m.

Memphis/Opponents Breakdown

	Memphis	USF	UCF
2018 Record	7-7, 0-2 The American	11-3, 0-1 The American	10-3, 1-0 The American
Series		USF leads 20-10	UCF leads 21-13
Last Meeting/2017		USF 3-1 win (@Tampa)	UCF 3-0 win (@Orlando)
Kills Leader	Hannah Flowers, 184	Jac'cara Walker, 167	McKenna Melville, 211
Assists Leader	Molly Murrihy, 466	Briana Stowell, 515	Erin Olson, 309
Digs Leader	Kaitlyn Gehler, 155	CC Clausen, 285	Jordan Pingel, 204
Blocks Leader	Kelsey Walter, 64	Jaeden Brown, 65	Nerissa Moravec, 47
Aces Leader	Hannah Flowers, 28	Faby Ribas, 18	McKenna Melville, 11

Head coach Sean Burdette comments
(On the conference home-opening weekend)
"We don't make a road trip to Florida this year, so this is the only time we'll see these two teams. USF and UCF both are very strong. They played each other last weekend with that match going five sets. We also get to stay home again next week, which is good. This homestand is good for us, but we have to prep for USF first Friday and then UCF for Sunday."

(On the homestand)
"We have a nice stretch here at home. We also have Homecoming and Memphis Madness next week. We have a lot of things going on the next couple of weeks. (Being at home) gives our fan base an opportunity to get involved and also allows us to bring recruits in for visits and have them be a part of the experience."

(On Mady Ruhlman reaching 1,000 career digs)
"The 1,000 digs is a great accomplishment for Mady, and we want her to keep adding to that number. It's great not only for Mady but also for the team. It's a milestone that we'll honor before Friday's match."

Tigers Tidbits

For the third-straight year, Memphis closes out the first full month of a season (September) with matches against the Florida schools. Last year, the Tigers hosted UCF and USF the weekend of Sept. 29 and Oct. 1. In 2016, Memphis opened league play on the road at UCF and USF Sept. 23 and 25.
The last time Memphis posted a home win over USF was in early November of 2016. The Tigers won 3-2 over the Bulls. In fact, the Tigers are 3-2 in their last five home matches against USF, defeating the Bulls in 2013, 2014 and 2016 at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The last time Memphis defeated UCF at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse was in 2011, a 3-1 win in early November. The Tigers' most-recent win over the Knights came in the 2015 campaign, a 3-0 victory in Orlando.
Since joining The American in 2013, Memphis has a 1-4 record in league home openers.
Senior Mady Ruhlman reached a milestone last weekend with her 1,000^th career dig. She enters this weekend's action with 1,023 career digs.
Sunday's match features a reunion for the Lafayette High School (Wildwood, Mo.) Lancers volleyball program. Two recent Lafayette stars – Memphis sophomore Hannah Flowers and UCF freshman Kathryn Wesolich – last played together on the Lancers' 2016 Missouri high school Class 4A state championship team.
This week, four Tigers rank in the top-10 in five statistical categories in The American, and they are: Hannah Flowers (4^th) in hitting percentage; Flowers (4^th) and Kelsea Bivins (8^th) in kills; Molly Murrihy (3^rd) in assists; Flowers (1^st) in service aces; and Kelsey Walter (2^nd) in total blocks.