Memphis volleyball (11-5, 0-4 American Athletic Conference) continued their losing streak by dropping both games over the weekend. The team lost to Wichita State and Tulsa in their home conference opener.
Wichita State Recap
The Tigers played against the Wichita State Shockers on Friday night and left the game with a 2-3 defeat. It marked the fourth consecutive loss and the second straight at home.
The player of the game for Memphis was Hannah Flowers as she ended the game with 16 kills, two aces and six blocks.
The home team jumped out to an early 13-7 advantage in the first set. That lead quickly became one, and it forced a Tigers timeout. The set was a continuous back and forth, along with three ties, but Memphis’ Sabria Cooper and Gigi Crescenzo fought for the final two points. The Tigers controlled their emotions and escaped the set with a 28-26 win.
The second set of the night was the exact opposite of the first. The Shockers went on a 13-9 run, just like the Tigers in the last set, but they did not surrender their lead and won the set 25-17. Memphis’ eight errors contributed to the loss of the set.
In the third set, with the game tied 1-1, the home team was down early but managed to comeback from six down and won the set 29-27. Flowers ended the set with her serving ace adding to her team lead in that category with 34 in the campaign.
The fourth set mirrored the second set as it started with both teams trading points until the Shockers found their rhythm. Memphis tried to make a valiant comeback, but the visitors were too much and closed the set with a score of 25-19.
In the final set of the game, the Shockers kept their momentum from the previous set and jumped out to an early lead as they held on to win the match by score of 15-12.
Tulsa Recap
The Tigers played the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes on Sunday and came away empty handed losing 3-0. Memphis was swept for the first time this year, and they dropped to 0-4 in the AAC .
The player of the game for the home team was Meredith Wallace. She led the Tigers with nine kills. Also, Sabrina Bianco recorded her 16th 20-assists match of the season with 24.
In the first set, Tulsa ran away with 25-14. Memphis never led and was down by as many as 12.
The second set was the best round for the Tigers despite losing 25-23. Memphis jumped out to an early lead only to see Tulsa come back. There were eight ties with the last one coming at 23-all. Tulsa would get the final two points thanks to a pair of Golden Hurricane’s kills.
In what would be the final set, both teams tied each other five times through the first 24 points (12-12). After that, Tulsa would take over going on a 13-6 run to end the match.
Wrap-up
The Tigers go back on the road and look to regroup as they continue their conference slate. Memphis travels to Dallas on Friday to play the SMU Mustangs at 7 p.m. Then on Sunday, the Tigers will travel to Orlando to play the defending AAC champions, the UCF Knights, at 11 a.m.
