Volleyball Takes Tiger Invitational Title

Saturday, September 8

Memphis, Tenn.

1 pm

University of Memphis

6-5

North Alabama

2-7

North Alabama

Memphis

Photo by: Brandon Dill

Sep 08, 2018 | Women's Volleyball

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

Benson with career-high six aces, Flowers named tournament MOP.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis' Natalie Benson served a career-high six aces to lead the Tigers to a 3-0 victory over North Alabama Saturday. With the victory, Memphis won the 2018 Tiger Invitational championship.

Memphis won Saturday's tournament finale over North Alabama by scores of 25-20, 25-15 and 25-13. The win improves the Tigers' record to 6-5. The Lions fall to 2-7.

The Tigers took their own invitational title by going 3-0 in their home tournament with wins over Louisiana Monroe, Tennessee Tech and North Alabama. Sophomore Hannah Flowers was named the Tiger Invitational Most Outstanding Player, and Kelsea Bivins and Kelsey Walter were named to the all-tournament team

Benson came off the bench for two aces in the second set and added four more in the third set. Her two aces in the second set were back-to-back, and all four aces in the third set came during a Tigers' 5-0 run to give Memphis the lead for good. Benson's six aces are the most by a Tiger in a match this season.

Memphis returns to action Tuesday, Sept. 11 with a 7 p.m. (CT) match at Ole Miss.

Head coach Sean Burdette comments
"We came in focused from the get-go today. It started with our pregame meal and into our video review and then out on the court. From top-to-bottom, we had a great team focus. We had some people come off the bench today and provide a spark with a lot of energy and quality points."

Tigers Tidbits

The Tigers had 14 aces, the most in a match this season. Three Tigers – Natalie Benson (6), Anna Palmer (4) and Hannah Flowers (3) – had multiple aces versus North Alabama.
Flowers had her eighth-straight double-figure kills match this season with 10 versus North Alabama.
The double-figures kills match was Flowers' 21^stof her career.
Kelsea Bivins posted the 18^thdouble-figures kills match of her career against North Alabama. She had 10 kills in the win over the Lions.
In her first major action this season, senior Martina Faietti, an international transfer from Italy, posted two kills, two digs and four total blocks.

Statistic	Memphis Leaders	North Alabama Leaders
Kills	Hannah Flowers, 10 Kelsea Bivins, 10	Malaisia Stallworth, 6
Assists	Molly Murrihy, 18	Emma Ellis, 10
Digs	Kelsea Bivins, 9	Emma Ellis, 13
Blocks	Hannah Flowers, 5	Malaisia Stallworth, 2
Aces	Natalie Benson, 6	Two players, 1

Set One

The Tigers jumped out to a 6-2 advantage, fell behind midway through the set and then regained the lead for the remainder of the set.
Memphis grabbed the early lead on kills from Kelsea Bivins, Hannah Flowers and Kelsey Walter.
North Alabama battled back, and after consecutive Memphis attack errors, pulled in front at 10-9.
The Tigers regained the lead at 11-10 with a 2-0 mini-run and did not trail again.
After a 13-all tie, the Tigers used an 8-2 run to take a 21-15 lead.
Two Flowers kills keyed the run.
From there, Memphis held North Alabama at bay for the 25-20 set win.

Set Two

The Tigers fell behind early 3-1, but answered with a 7-1 run to take the lead for good at 8-4.
Three-straight Flowers service aces ignited the Tigers' surge.
Memphis continued to extend its lead which grew to as many as 11 points at 22-11.
Natalie Benson had consecutive aces down the stretch for the Tigers.

Set Three

Memphis trailed early 4-2, but put together a 7-0 spurt to take the lead for good at 9-4.
Benson keyed the run with four aces in a five-point span.
Flowers and Walter each picked up a kill in the run.
The Tigers continued to extend their lead which reached as many as 12 points at 20-8.
Kate Hoerdemann, Martina Faietti and Molly Murrihy each logged a kill in that stretch.
Memphis wrapped up the set 25-13 and the match 3-0.