Nov. 16, 2008

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -

UAB 3, Memphis 0

UAB (23-5; 13-3 C-USA)         25  28  25
Memphis (17-13; 8-8 C-USA)     23  26  23

Memphis's senior setter Laura Côté dished out a match-high 38 assists, Rebekah Strickland led all players with 15 kills and libero Christine Bach picked up a match-best 13 digs. However, the Tigers squandered late leads in each of the first two sets in a three-game loss to UAB in the regular season finale for both squads. Memphis drops to 17-13 overall, 8-8 in league play, while UAB improves to 23-5, 13-3 in C-USA action.

Ahead 23-20 in the opener, Memphis looked as if it would take the set. But victory in sight, the Tigers committed five-straight errors to lose 25-23.

Game two saw the Tigers hold a five-point lead, 23-18, late. UAB then used three U of M hitting miscues in a 4-0 run to get back in the game and cut the Memphis cushion to 24-23. Ivana Bozic recorded her lone ace of the match to tie things at 24-all. From there, Memphis gained a sideout serve after a kill by Lauren Thompson, but UAB kept the game alive with a strike by Lilly Domingos. Jordan McDonald and Casey Dent gave the Blazers the 26-25 advantage with assisted blocks on the next play. A kill by Côté averted UAB's set-point serve and tied the contest at 26. But Dent then connected for a kill and teamed with Nevena Stefanov for a block to claim a 28-26 Blazer win.

Game three was tight early on, with both squads battling through five ties and three lead changes. One of Thompson's eight kills evened the set at 10-10. UAB came back with the next three scores to take a 13-10 lead. The Blazers extended the advantage to 21-15, before Thompson came through with a kill and Emily Underwood posted a service ace to jumpstart a 5-1 push that got the Tigers back into the game. A kill by Katlin Inglish made it 23-22, and a spike by Strickland kept the one-point deficit at 24-23. But Memphis could not overcome the shortage in a 25-23 game three loss.

Memphis's offense got 11 kills from Katlin Inglish and won the kills battle, 47-31. The service line is where the Tigers hurt themselves, serving up 15 errors in the set.

The Tiger defense out dug UAB's 40-35 and won the blocking war 9-7. Inglish, Casey Sines, Underwood and Strickland recorded three total blocks each. Inglish had two solo rejections.

UAB was led by Andrea Lalic's 10 kills. Libero Aleksandra Vujovic led the way with nine digs and Dent made four total blocks.

Memphis will now prepare to host the 2008 Conference USA Championships, Nov. 20-23. The Tigers will play the final match--7 p.m.--of the night in Thursday's opening round.