June 18, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -

2008 Memphis Volleyball Schedule

The University of Memphis volleyball program announced its 2008 schedule today. First-year Head Coach April Jauregui and her Tigers will host 17 home matches as well as two preseason tournaments and the 2008 Conference USA Championships in November.

For the first time since hosting the Great Midwest Conference tournament in 1991, championship volleyball returns to Memphis. Conference USA's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament will be determined in the 12-team, 2008 C-USA Championships, November 20-23.

"We are fortunate to be hosting 2 home tournaments and of course the C-USA tournament," Jauregui said. "We are looking forward to giving our fans and community a strong home schedule and the chance to participate in the first C-USA volleyball championship hosted at Memphis."

Jauregui's first season at the helm of Tiger volleyball will be a challenging one as the Tigers will play 12 teams that posted winning records in 2007, two squads that advanced to the 2007 NCAA Tournament and six that won 20 or more games a year ago.

"The 2008 season will give our squad an array of competitive experience," said Jauregui. "Our goal is to play a variety of teams in preparation for the C-USA regular season."

Memphis's 30-match schedule will begin with consecutive home preseason tournaments. The Tigers will get the 2008 year underway on August 29 in the Memphis Invitational when they take on Alabama A&M--one of its two '08 opponents to advance to the 2007 NCAA Tournament--in the season-opener. Memphis will also play McNeese State and UALR in the opening weekend.

The Tigers will host Iona (Sept. 5), IUPUI (Sept. 5), Indiana State (Sept. 6) and Troy (Sept. 6) in the Tiger Invitational, before hitting the road for the first time at Mississippi State's MSU Invitational. The U of M will see formidable opposition as they take on a Central Arkansas team that won 24 matches a year ago, along with host institution Mississippi State.

C-USA play begins on Sept. 18 with a battle against rival UAB in Birmingham, Ala. Memphis will remain in "The Magic City" to play in the UAB/Samford Invitational, Sept. 19-20. The Tigers will take on co-host Samford at 1 p.m. on Sept. 19. They will wrap up non-conference play against Florida International and UT-Chattanooga in a doubleheader on Sat., Sept. 20.

Memphis's final 15 regular season matches will all be league games, beginning with the tough weekend trip to Marshall (Sept. 26) and East Carolina (Sept. 28). The will split the next two weekends, hosting Tulane (Oct. 3) and UTEP (Oct. 5) prior to making a trip to Orlando to face UCF (Oct. 10) and Hattiesburg for a matchup with Southern Miss (Oct. 12).

The U of M will then return home for a three week, six-match homestand. In that stretch, Memphis will play SMU (Oct. 17), defending C-USA champs Tulsa (Oct. 19), UCF (Oct. 24), Southern Miss (Oct. 26), Marshall (Oct. 31) and ECU (Nov. 2).

The Tigers will hit the road for a final time in '08 for a pair of matches in Houston. They will battle Houston on Nov. 7 and Rice on Nov. 9.

Memphis will wrap up the C-USA regular season the same way it started it, facing off against UAB on Nov. 16.