Volleyball Wraps Up Spring Practice Saturday

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Heading into his second year of spring drills, University of Memphis volleyball head coach Sean Burdette was hoping to take another big step in the building of his program. Burdette had a complete spring practice and match schedule ready for his squad.

Then came the injuries that forced Burdette into a numbers game, just as he had in his first spring with the Tigers in 2018.

"We've been a little banged up, and we didn't want to risk further injuries so we shortened our competition season," said Burdette. "We've had some pretty intense practices. We've kept them shorter to keep everyone as healthy as possible.

"Our players have been working hard and have made some great strides in the weight room. That will translate well to what we do over the summer and into the fall. We've still got a lot out of it (spring practice)."

The competition portion of the 2019 spring drills wraps up Saturday with the Tigers and fellow Mid-South rival Arkansas State co-hosting a tournament at Memphis Metro Volleyball Club 5-Court Training Facility. Other area schools playing in the tournament are Christian Brothers, Central Arkansas, Ole Miss and Southern Illinois.

Action at the Memphis Metro Volleyball Club 5-Court Training Facility, located in Bartlett, begins at 9 a.m. (CT) Saturday and runs up to late afternoon. The Tigers are playing three matches in the event.

"We're certainly trying to see some other people on the other side of the net," Burdette said. "That's something that is healthy, and something our players are looking forward to.

"The matches aren't official, so we'll get to try out some different stuff. It's a relaxed, but competitive atmosphere. You want to walk away with wins, but you also want to put players in other positions and see how they react."

After this weekend, Memphis concludes spring practice with individual players' meetings next week.

University of Memphis Athletics

Related News

Related Videos