Oct. 2, 2011

Box Score

Memphis vs. Tulane PDF Box

NEW ORLEANS, La. - The University of Memphis Volleyball team defeated Tulane in straight sets (25-19;25-19;25-17) behind a double-double of 34 assists and 11 digs from Hajnalka Molnar. The Tigers improve to 14-4 and 3-2 in Conference USA play, while Tulane falls to 5-10 and 0-4 in C-USA.

Tulane opened the first set strong, going up 3-1 before Memphis settled into its routine. The Tigers fought back to tie the set at five behind back-to-back kills from Vesna Jelic and Marija Jovanovic. The teams traded points before Memphis took the lead for good at 10-9 after a service ace from Hajnalka Molnar.

Two kills from Jelic and an ace from Altrese Hawkins pushed the Tigers lead to 13-10 and powered an 8-2 run that gave Memphis a 17-11 advantage. Tulane called timeout and regrouped, however, going on a 5-1 run to make it 18-16 and force Memphis to call timeout. The Tigers responded with a 5-0 run of their own to make it 23-16, and a powerful kill from A. Hawkins sealed the set for Memphis, 25-19.

Set two began much like the first, as the Green Wave opened up a 3-2 advantage behind attack errors from the Tigers. Tulane maintained its advantage for the first half of the set and led 14-13 after an attack error on A. Hawkins, but back-to-back kills by Jovanovic gave the Tigers their first lead of the set at 15-14.

Memphis extended its 3-0 run into a 7-1 rally and extended its advantage to 20-15 Two Tulane errors and an ace from Lauren Hawkins allowed Memphis to take a commanding 23-17 advantage, and the 12th kill by Altrese Hawkins put the set away, 25-19. A. Hawkins led the Tigers in the second set with seven kills while hitting at a .500 clip. Molnar registered 13 assists in the set, while Aleksandra Petronijevic came up with five digs on the back row.

The Tigers jumped out to an early 6-2 lead behind a kill from L. Hawkins, blocks from A. Hawkins and Katie Meyer, and a service error from Molnar. Memphis extended that advantage to 8-4 after a kill down the middle from Katie Meyer and a service ace from A. Hawkins. Three-straight attack errors by Tulane gave the Tigers a 12-6 lead, and Memphis would never lead by less than four points for the remainder of the set. Kills from Meyer and A. Hawkins clinched the set, 25-17 and the match, 3-0.

Memphis will return to the Bluff City before traveling to El Paso, Texas for back-to-back matches against UTEP on Oct. 7 and 8. Both matches will be at 7 p.m.