Sept. 5, 2002

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - The University of Memphis volleyball team (3-2, 0-0 C-USA) will play its only home matches remaining in the month of September when the Tigers host four teams in the Cal's Steakhouse Memphis Tournament, slated to begin at 10 a.m., Friday.

Memphis will host Arkansas State, Appalachian State, Middle Tennessee and Birmingham-Southern in the two-day tournament. The Tigers did not host a home tournament last season, but finished second in the tournament in 1999.

Memphis Head Coach Carrie Yerty is hoping that this weekend marks the return of junior middle hitter Shella Neba (Aurora, Colo./St. Mary's). Neba, who led the team with a .293 hitting percentage last year, has missed the first five matches of the season with a back injury, but hopes to be back in time for this weekend.

"With four matches under our belt, I think we will start playing with some more consistency and without as many nerves from our freshmen, but it's important that we get our whole team back and healthy for this weekend," Yerty said.

The Tigers have leaned heavily on the 2002 freshman class, as is evidenced by a couple of Tiger rotations that feature four freshmen on the floor with either a junior and a sophomore or a junior and a senior.

"I think we saw great team progress over the last weekend (at Georgia Southern). At one point, we had four freshmen on the court at the same time due to injuries to our middles, but they all did a great job of adjusting."

Freshman Nancy Nellans (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph's) has emerged as a top Tiger threat, leading the Tigers with 14 service aces and standing third on the team with 51 kills (2.83/game). Her 0.78 service aces per game ranks her fifth in Conference USA statistics. Nellans has played in all but one game for the Tigers' through their first five matches. "Nancy (Nellans) also was outstanding this weekend. She almost set a new Conference USA freshman record with eight service aces against Charleston Southern and was one of our top offensive weapons this weekend," Yerty said.

The addition of the libero position to college volleyball has also given another Tiger freshman an opportunity to emerge early. Freshman Lauren Berg (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) currently leads the team with 66 digs (3.47/game), ranking seventh in Conference USA. Berg's 23 digs against two-time defending Sun Belt Champ Western Kentucky is the fifth-highest single match mark in the league so far this season.

The home tournament will be the second tourney of the season for the Tigers after going 2-2 at the Georgia Southern Invitational last weekend. Junior outside Brittany Barnett (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands) and sophomore setter Heather Watts (Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline) were both named to the all-tournament team at GSU. Barnett tallied two new career highs in kills, and her 22 kills against Georgia Southern is the second-best individual performance in the conference so far this season.

Tournament Opponents Notebook:

Appalachian State (5-0, 0-0 Southern Conference)
Appalachian State finished 2001 with a mark of 4-16 and Head Coach Chris Redding has already guided the Mountaineers past their 2001 total win mark as the Mountaineers are undefeated heading into this weekend. At 5-0, App State won the High Point University Invitational last weekend and upset North Carolina State earlier this week.
Appalachian State Schedule
Fri., Sept. 6 vs. Birmingham-Southern, 10 a.m.
Fri., Sept. 6 vs. Middle Tennessee, 6 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 7 vs. Memphis, 7:30 p.m.

Birmingham-Southern (1-3, 0-0 Big South)
Birmingham-Southern is a program whose head coach, Tonya Charland, is very familiar with the Tigers after playing for and working as an assistant coach at fellow Conference USA member UAB. Charland guided the Panthers to a 12-16 record in her first season as a head coach last year and had the team not been in its first year as an NCAA Division I member, the Panthers would have qualified for the Big South Conference Tournament. The Panthers will be eligible for post-season play beginning in 2003.
Birmingham-Southern Schedule
Fri., Sept. 6 vs. Appalachian State, 10 a.m.
Fri., Sept. 6 vs. Memphis, 7 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 7 vs. Arkansas State, 10 a.m.
Sat., Sept. 7 vs. Middle Tennessee, 4:30 p.m.

Arkansas State (3-1, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Arkansas State is off to a 3-1 record, but will only appear in two matches at the tournament this weekend in order to avoid facing fellow Sun Belt Conference member Middle Tennessee before their regular season match-up. The Lady Indians will face Memphis at 12:30, Friday, and will square off with Birmingham-Southern at 10 a.m., Saturday. Head Coach Craig Cummings and his team finished with an 8-20 record last year.
This will be the first of two trips the Lady Indians make to the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. ASU will also be in Memphis, Oct. 22nd to face Memphis and Belmont University in a triangular match.
Arkansas State Schedule
Fri., Sept. 6 vs. Memphis, 12:30 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 7 vs. Birmingham-Southern, 10 a.m.

Middle Tennessee (3-2, 0-0 Sun Belt)
The Blue Raiders make the trip down I-40 from just outside Nashville to participate in their first road games of the season after going 2-2 in their own tournament last weekend. The Blue Raiders are guided by Head Coach Lisa Kissee and posted a 10-23 record last season. One of two Sun Belt Conference teams in the tournament, the Blue Raiders are returning all six of their starters from last season.
Middle Tennessee Schedule
Fri., Sept. 6 vs. Appalachian State, 4:30 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 7 vs. Memphis, 12:30 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 7 vs. Birmingham-Southern, 4:30 p.m.