Oct. 2, 2007

Box Score

CONWAY, Ark. -

Memphis 3, UCA 1
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Memphis (13-7) 30 30 18 30
UCA (14-6)     26 23 30 20

Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Thompson hammered a career-high 11 kills and Ashley Liford added 13 kills to lead Memphis to a 3-1 win over Central Arkansas in non-conference action Tuesday night. The win snapped a three-match losing streak for the Tigers.

Memphis gave the UCA offense trouble all night, making 15 blocks and forcing them into 38 attacking errors for a .106 hitting percentage. Shelby Burton led the blocking charge with seven blocks, including a pair of solos. Sarah Bury added six rejections to a double-double performance of 10 kills and 13 digs.

Bury was not the only Tiger to post double-double totals. Thompson and Liford made 12 and 10, respectively to complete their double-doubles. Thompson's was the first of her collegiate career. The Memphis defense got solid backrow play from Becky Shaffer, who led the team with 15 digs, and Christine Bach, who had 14 digs.

The Tigers clinched the victory with a solid game four performance. Liford and Côté put away two kills each to fuel a 6-0 game-opening run by the Tigers, and that would be all they needed to gain command of the game. UCA responded with a pair of scores, but Memphis bounced right back by scoring on five of the next six scores to take an 11-3 advantage. An attacking error by UCA extended Memphis' lead to nine at 20-11 and the Tigers were able to then coast to the win.

The rest of the match was not an easy one for the Tigers. One of Burton's two solo blocks, and an unassisted kill by the senior put Memphis on the board 3-0. Holding a slight lead, at 7-5, a block by Bury and Thompson ignited a six-point UofM run that put Memphis up comfortably 13-5. However, just as quickly as it grabbed that lead, the Tigers gave it back, surrendering a 9-1 run by the Sugar Bears. In that run was a 6-0 push that helped UCA pull even at 14-all. The teams would see the frame tied five more times before the Tigers got kills from Kelsey Labrum, Burton and Thompson on consecutive rallies to take a 23-21 lead. A block by Burton and Thompson preceded an ace by Thompson and Memphis was up 25-23 late in the game. The Tigers, who hit 359 in the opener, were able to hold the two-point lead until scoring the final two points of the game for the 30-26 final.

Memphis cooled off in the second, but its defense picked up, holding UCA to .043 in the game. Labrum broke a 2-2 tie with one of her seven blasts on the night, and the Tigers were again off and running. A 10-1 run produced an 11-3 lead, but just like the first game, Memphis let the opponent back in the game. The Sugar Bears scored 10 of the next 13 points to pull to with one point of the Tigers. Memphis held on to that one-point cushion until late. Ahead 20-19, Bury and Labrum came up with a block and that spawned a 6-1 surge that gave the UofM a 26-20 lead. Liford hammered down point No. 30 to send her squad into the break with a commanding 2-0 lead.

UCA came out of the intermission and never let Memphis get into its rhythm. The Sugar Bears used a five-point run to jump on top 8-3 and things would only get worse from there for the Tigers. Another 5-0 run by UCA made it 16-4. The lead made it to as many as 14 points, at 25-11 before Memphis any offensive continuity. A pair of kills by Thompson and an attacking error by the Sugar Bears made it 27-17, but it was too little too late as UCA salvaged game three 30-18 to force a fourth period.

Evaree Franklin led UCA with 24 kills, while Amicha Williams and Camila Scapini downed 12 and 11 each. The Sugar Bears, who have lost six of the last seven, got a match-best 16 digs from libero Kelly Bence.

Memphis now returns to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse for a C-USA weekend against Southern Miss and UCF. The Tigers will host the Golden Eagles on Fri., Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. They will battle the Knights of UCF on Sun., Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.