University of Memphis Athletics
Tigers Volleyball Preview vs. SIU
Jan 21, 2021 | Women's Volleyball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis volleyball opens the 2021 season with a pair of matches vs. Southern Illinois Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m.. It will be the Tigers' first matches in history in their new home, the Larry O. Finch Center.
Memphis Schedule
Memphis/Opponents Breakdown
Head coach Sean Burdette comments
"It's a long time coming and we're excited that the season is here. But at the end of the day, we've got to be able to duck and dive a little bit and play whatever comes in front of us. Every day is a little bit different. It might be a shorter season, but it's a season, and that's exciting."
(On seeing other coaches and athletes return to play during this changing time)
"I think we've learned a lot from watching those other sports, and credit to our administration and the University for putting things in place that allow us to get out on the court every day and be successful. At the end of the day, our players want to play, and we want to give them every opportunity to do that in a safe form and fashion."
(On building off of a successful second year at as the head coach)
"It was a great job by our players and our staff. You've got to be able to get better every day, every week. When you hit that conference stretch, sometimes it turns up to a different level, and you've got to be ready to take that. We finished strong in conference play. Even though the format of this season may be different, the teams are the same and we've got to be ready to go."
(On the year layoff)
"They are certainly itching to play another team. A lot of times in the offseason, you work more individually because most athletes don't always have the time to do that during a preseason where there's a lot more focus on the team. We were able to work a lot more with our individual athletes and hopefully build up to this point in time. Every team is in the same boat, and you have to just take every day as it comes."
(On having a new full-time home at the Larry O. Finch Center)
It's a phenomenal thing, whether you're talking recruiting advantages, home court advantages, it's great. Once we're able to put a crowd in there, it will be right on top of the court, and that's going to be exciting to see. This transition has been great, and we're ready to move ahead. It's phenomenal in a lot of ways. The team's excited, and it's only the starting point for this facility.
(On the additions to the team)
"We've got a couple of transfers in addition to a great class, and at this point, we don't even see them as newcomers, as they've been with us for a while already. We tried to figure out how we could best utilize our time during the pandemic, and even though it was via zoom, we were able to build a lot of relationships. At the end of the day, we built better bonds, and we can step on the court knowing a lot more about one another."
(On non-conference play)
These first two weekends, it's really about what you do on your side of the net. Can you control the ball, control the tempo and limit the errors as you start out? Nerves will be there for everyone with all the excitement that's been built up for the last year or longer. It's about controlling your emotions, but then without fans, how you do make sure you generate the energy needed?"
(On Southern Illinois)
"They've got a large squad in terms of depth with a fair number of returners as well. Their staff does a great job in building and training the players. It's been a long time since we've seen them. Everyone is able to get video, but everyone is looking at video from 13+ months ago."
Tigers Tidbits
Memphis Schedule
| Date/Day | Match | Time (CT) |
| Jan. 22/Friday | Memphis vs. Southern Illinois | 7 pm |
| Jan. 23/Saturday | Memphis vs. Southern Illinois | 5 pm |
Memphis/Opponents Breakdown
| Memphis | Southern Illinois | |
| 2019 Record | 17-11, 6-10 (American) | 14-18, 6-12 (Missouri Valley) |
| Series | SIU Leads 11-6 | |
| Last Meeting | Memphis won 3-2 (in Carbondale, 2019) | |
| # Returnees | 6 | 9 |
| Ret. Kills Leader | Andrea O'Connor, 138 | Savannah Sheridan, 326 |
| Ret. Assists Leader | Sabrina Bianco, 1136 | Rachel Maguire, 722 |
| Ret. Digs Leader | Sabrina Bianco, 298 | Rachel Maguire, 349 |
| Ret. Blocks Leader | Andrea O'Connor, 74 | Lindsey Paulsen, 90 |
Head coach Sean Burdette comments
"It's a long time coming and we're excited that the season is here. But at the end of the day, we've got to be able to duck and dive a little bit and play whatever comes in front of us. Every day is a little bit different. It might be a shorter season, but it's a season, and that's exciting."
(On seeing other coaches and athletes return to play during this changing time)
"I think we've learned a lot from watching those other sports, and credit to our administration and the University for putting things in place that allow us to get out on the court every day and be successful. At the end of the day, our players want to play, and we want to give them every opportunity to do that in a safe form and fashion."
(On building off of a successful second year at as the head coach)
"It was a great job by our players and our staff. You've got to be able to get better every day, every week. When you hit that conference stretch, sometimes it turns up to a different level, and you've got to be ready to take that. We finished strong in conference play. Even though the format of this season may be different, the teams are the same and we've got to be ready to go."
(On the year layoff)
"They are certainly itching to play another team. A lot of times in the offseason, you work more individually because most athletes don't always have the time to do that during a preseason where there's a lot more focus on the team. We were able to work a lot more with our individual athletes and hopefully build up to this point in time. Every team is in the same boat, and you have to just take every day as it comes."
(On having a new full-time home at the Larry O. Finch Center)
It's a phenomenal thing, whether you're talking recruiting advantages, home court advantages, it's great. Once we're able to put a crowd in there, it will be right on top of the court, and that's going to be exciting to see. This transition has been great, and we're ready to move ahead. It's phenomenal in a lot of ways. The team's excited, and it's only the starting point for this facility.
(On the additions to the team)
"We've got a couple of transfers in addition to a great class, and at this point, we don't even see them as newcomers, as they've been with us for a while already. We tried to figure out how we could best utilize our time during the pandemic, and even though it was via zoom, we were able to build a lot of relationships. At the end of the day, we built better bonds, and we can step on the court knowing a lot more about one another."
(On non-conference play)
These first two weekends, it's really about what you do on your side of the net. Can you control the ball, control the tempo and limit the errors as you start out? Nerves will be there for everyone with all the excitement that's been built up for the last year or longer. It's about controlling your emotions, but then without fans, how you do make sure you generate the energy needed?"
(On Southern Illinois)
"They've got a large squad in terms of depth with a fair number of returners as well. Their staff does a great job in building and training the players. It's been a long time since we've seen them. Everyone is able to get video, but everyone is looking at video from 13+ months ago."
Tigers Tidbits
- Friday's match is the first official match to take place at the Larry O. Finch Center
- The Tigers open at home for the second time in the past three seasons and third time in the past five campaigns. Memphis opened up the 2016 and 2018 seasons at home
- Memphis won six of its final 10 matches last season and three of the final five
- Southern Illinois leads the all-time series 11-6, though Memphis has picked up the victory in four of the last five matchups, which includes a five-set win on the road last season, Sept. 13, 2019
- Only five Tigers that appeared in that match are on the current roster
- The 2019 matchup between the two schools was the first meeting since 2012
- Memphis' three leaders in kills in that match are not on the current roster
- The Tigers return just one of their top five players in kills (Andrea O'Connor), two of the top five in assists (Sabrina Bianco, Gigi Crescenzo), two of the top three in digs (Bianco, Crescenzo), and three of the top five in blocks (O'Connor, Bianco, and Jada Birkel)
- With seven freshmen on the roster, Memphis has more freshman than returners from the 2019 team (six)
- Three Tigers – Gigi Crescenzo (St. Charles), Bailey Houlihan (Naperville), and Anna Hayes (Hartsburg) – face off against a school from their home state this weekend
- Memphis continues early season play at the Larry O. Finch Center next weekend, with matches against Louisiana Tech on Friday Jan. 29 and Saturday Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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