Volleyball Preview: Tiger Invitational

Friday, September 7

Memphis, Tenn.

10 am

University of Memphis

Louisiana Monroe

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Sep 06, 2018 | Women's Volleyball

Memphis hosts second home tournament of the season this weekend.

2018 Tiger Invitational page

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – For the third weekend in a row, the University of Memphis volleyball plays in a non-conference, regular-season tournament. And, for the second time this season, the tournament is at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

Memphis hosts the Tiger Invitational Friday-Saturday, Sept. 7-8 and welcomes Louisiana Monroe, North Alabama and Tennessee Tech to the Bluff City for the two-day event. All six matches are set for the Elma Roane Fieldhouse, and admission is free.

Two weeks ago, the Tigers hosted the Memphis Invitational. Memphis went 1-2 in its season-opening tournament. Last weekend, the Tigers posted a 2-2 record in action at UT Martin's Skyhawk Invitational.

Tiger Invitational Schedule

Date/Day	Match	Time (CT)
Sept. 7/Friday	Louisiana Monroe vs. Memphis	10 am
	North Alabama vs. Tennessee Tech	12:30 pm
	North Alabama vs. Louisiana Monroe	4:30 pm
	Tennessee Tech vs. Memphis	7 pm
Sept. 8/Saturday	Tennessee Tech vs. Louisiana Monroe	10 am
	North Alabama vs. Memphis	1 pm

Memphis/Opponents Breakdown

	Memphis	Louisiana Monroe	North Alabama	Tennessee Tech
2018 Record	3-5	2-5	2-4	5-3
Series Record	--	UM leads 7-1	UM leads 4-0	UM leads 12-10
Kills Leader	Hannah Flowers, 94	Kate Blasingame, 53	Christina Ellwanger, 74	Rachel Thomas, 98
Assists Leader	Molly Murrihy, 281	Tara Jenkins, 91	Jayden Davila-McClary, 122	Susie Jeziorowski, 340
Digs Leader	Kaitlyn Gehler, 112	Katie McKay, 76	Genesis Benitez, 101	Kirsten Brugere, 147
Blocks Leader	Kelsey Walter, 39	Taylor Wood, 32	Malaisia Stallworth, 17	Rachel Thomas, 30

Head coach Sean Burdette comments
(On last weekend's performance)
"It was a good weekend (at UT Martin Skyhawk Invitational), and we got better as the tournament went along. We had a tough schedule, playing four matches in a 30-hour span. Our players got better, stronger throughout the weekend. We finished on a great note beating UAB in the last match Saturday.

"We had great production from Hannah and Kelsea last weekend. They played well offensively and both also blocked well at the net. Hannah provided a ton of points for us from the service line. Kelsey Walter stepped up big in the blocking department."

(On the Tiger Invitational, Friday's Kids' Game vs. Louisiana Monroe)
"We're excited to have the community involved as much as possible in these tournaments you play in the middle of the day. Usually, for mid-day matches, you may get 15, 20, 30 spectators in the stands. So, to have several hundred for our match Friday would be awesome. We're excited to get some young people out and watch volleyball and get interested in the sport.

"We have a good, balanced field. Tennessee Tech is an in-state school that has some players on its roster from the Memphis area. They'll come in Friday night ready to go. Then, we turn around and play a North Alabama team that has a lot of diversity with players from the U.S., but also international players as well."

Tigers Tidbits

Although Memphis and North Alabama have played four previous times (UofM leads the series 4-0), the last time the two programs met on the court was in the 1980 campaign.
The previous four match-ups between Memphis and North Alabama were when both programs played in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). From the early 1980s until last season, North Alabama was an NCAA Division II member, but is in its first year at the NCAA Division I level in 2018-19.
The Tigers have played Louisiana Monroe and Tennessee Tech in recent seasons. In 2017, Memphis defeated Louisiana Monroe 3-0 in the Memphis Invitational. Memphis also posted a 3-0 victory over the Golden Eagles in the 2015 Memphis Invitational.
The Tiger Invitational field has head coaches all in their first seasons at their respective schools.
Three Tigers have earned honors so far this season. Hannah Flowers was named the Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Week. Sarah Marlatt (Memphis Invitational) and Kelsea Bivins (Skyhawk Invitational) were named to all-tournament teams.
Kelsey Walter had 10 total blocks versus Central Arkansas last weekend. The 10 total blocks were the most by a Tiger since 2007 when Shelby Burton had 11 total blocks versus Eastern Illinois (Aug. 31, 2007). The 10 block assists were the most by a Tiger since 1998 when Jenni Roselli had 11 against Ole Miss (Oct. 20, 1998).
Hannah Flowers (19) and Kelsea Bivins (21) set career-highs in kills at last weekend's Skyhawk Invitational. Flowers set her career-high in a win over UAB, and Bivins' career-best came against UT Martin.
Four Tigers are among the American Athletic Conference statistical leaders heading into this weekend's action. They are: Hannah Flowers in hitting percentage (10^th), kills (7^th) and aces (1^st); Molly Murrihy in assists (3^rd); Kelsey Walter in blocks (3^rd); and Kelsea Bivins in kills (10^th).