Sept. 25, 2010

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -

Tulsa 3, Memphis 1

Tulsa (9-2; 1-0 C-USA)     19  25  26  25
Memphis (9-4; 0-1 C-USA)   25  13  24  13

Hajnalka Molnar put together a double-double performance of 32 assists and 10 digs and Altrese Hawkins connected for a team-high 15 kills, but in the end, the Tigers were unable to stop a streaking Tulsa club in a 3-1 loss Saturday afternoon at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

Tulsa extended its win streak to nine-straight matches behind the three-part attack of Jordan Clampitt, Tyler Henderson and Diana Silva. Henderson hit .327 for the contest and showed why she leads the nation in kills per set, hammering a match-best 25 kills. Silva added a double-double of 14 kills and 12 digs, while Clampitt led all players with 51 assists. Henderson and Clampitt both picked up nine digs.

For Memphis, Marija Jovanovic downed 12 kills and eight digs. Vesna Jelic picked up 12 digs to go with eight kills.

Memphis hit .367 en route to claiming the opening set of the afternoon. The two sides jostled for control early before the Tigers forced a hitting error by Tulsa and Jovanovic followed with a service aces to give Memphis an 8-6 lead. The Tigers never surrendered the advantage for the remainder of the set and forced a Golden Hurricanes timeout after consecutive strikes by Jovanovic and an ace by Christine Bach. Assisted blocks by Altrese Hawkins and Katie Meyer preceded a kill by Hawkins as Memphis surged ahead 22-16. The Tiger held on to the six-point cushion for a 25-19 win.

Tulsa picked up its intensity in the second, hitting .406 behind six kills from Henderson. The Tigers led 8-5 before giving up a 20-5 Golden Hurricane run to end the game. Memphis hit just .135 in the set to go into the intermission tied at 1-1.

The two clubs fought through 10 ties and five lead changes in what proved to be the pivotal third set. Memphis trailed 11-8 after a kill by Silva, but stormed back to take a 14-13 lead after blocks by Jelic and Meyer, and Meyer and Jovanovic. The Tigers extended the lead to 16-14 after consecutive blocks by Jelic and Meyer, and Meyer and Molnar. With a two-point lead in hand, Memphis saw Tulsa come back with a kill by Henderson to knot the set at 20-all. A kill by Altrese Hawkins put the Tigers ahead 24-23, but the Golden Hurricane again responded with a kill and a block to reverse the lead to 25-24. Memphis was unable to regain the lead in a 26-24 loss.

The fourth period was all Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane hit .323 and held Memphis to -.094. Consecutive aces by Molnar helped Memphis keep things close early, 7-5. That would be as close as Memphis would get. TU led by 12-9 and rattled off seven-straight points to put the contest away. The Golden Hurricane clinched the match with a 25-13 decision in game four.

Bach led the Memphis defense with 14 digs and freshman Meyer made seven total blocks.

Tulsa got a match-high 17 digs from Jessica Adams and Kellie Culbertson chipped in with 15 digs.

For the match, the Golden Hurricane posted a 57-38 advantage in kills, a 54-35 lead in assists and a 68-53 cushion in digs.

Memphis will go for the series split tomorrow, when it host the Golden Hurricane at 1 p.m. at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.