Sept. 9, 2009

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis volleyball team will wrap a tough pre-Conference USA slate this weekend as it heads to Bowling Green, Kentucky to play in the Lady Topper Invitational hosted by Western Kentucky University. The Tigers will open the tournament on Fri., Sept. 11 with a 10 a.m. match versus Northern Illinois. Memphis will battle in-state foe Tennessee State at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, before rounding out the weekend against the host Western Kentucky Lady Toppers at 2 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 12.

Scouting the Tigers
Off to the slowest start in program history, the Tigers look to snap an 11-match skid this weekend. Memphis is 1-21 in its 22 sets this year, but that figure is in now indicative of the how close the sets have actually been. The Tigers have led sets late, but have been unable to finish strong.

The Tiger offense is led by outside hitters Katlin Inglish and Lauren Thompson. Inglish, a junior, leads the squad with 64 kills (2.91 kps), while Thompson has downed 60 kills (2.73 kps). Christine Bach leads the way with 117 assists and four aces.

Emily Underwood is back to her old ways at the net, leading the team with 20 total blocks. On the back row, libero Becky Shaffer anchors the club with a team-high 101 digs. The junior recorded a pair of 19-dig performances last weekend. Bach is second with 89 digs (4.05 dps).

Scouting Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois won three of its first four matches, but has since dropped three-straight to bring a 4-4 mark into the weekend tournament. The Huskies have been swept in the each of the last three outings.

The NIU offense hits .260 as a team and has recorded 20 more kills than its opponents. That charge is led by Meagan Schoenrock. The senior outside hitter has pounded a club-best 94 kills for an average of 3.48 kills per set. She hits .275 and has scored 102.5 points through the first eight matches. Senior Cassie Yates has 82 kills, but hits a scorching .403. Sophomore Allison McGlaughlin rounds out the Huskies' top attackers with 89 kills. Setter Amanda Tadla has 244 assists.

All-Time Record vs. the Huskies
This year's meeting between Memphis and Northern Illinois will be the first in 33-years (since 1976). The two institutions have not played since the game went to the best three-of-five format. Memphis lost to Northern Illinois 2-0 in the 1976 SIU Quadrangular, but defeated the Huskies 2-1 in the series' first contest in 1974.

Scouting Tennessee State
With just two seniors on its roster, Tennessee comes into the weekend with a 1-6 record. The Lady Tigers dropped three matches last weekend and fell to Chattanooga in midweek action. Last weekend, the Lady Tigers lost a pair of 3-1 decisions to South Alabama and Georgia, before being swept by Duke. UTC handed TSU its fifth-straight loss--a four set defeat on Tuesday.

Picked to finish ninth in the Ohio Valley preseason poll, Tennessee State has struggled offensively, being held under a collective .200 attacking percentage in each of the last five matches. Sophomore outside hitter Terakka Walker leads the team with 2.48 kills per set and 72 total points. Junior middle blocker Vicmari Prospero checks in with 51 kills (2.04 kps) and 70.5 points. Prospero also paces the squad with 12 service aces. Setter Yamari Padilla-Collazo has picked her opportunities well and hits a team-best .343 with 28 kills. She averages 9.08 assists per set.

Walker is the clubs defensive leader as well, racking up 3.12 digs per set. Prospero and senior outside hitter Shawna Ruiz lead the Lady Tiger's frontline with 14 total blocks.

All-Time Record vs. the Lady Tigers
Memphis is 3-0 in the all-time series versus Tennessee State. The Tigers have swept the Lady Tigers in each of the three matches (1994, 1996 and 2004).

Last Time vs. Tennessee State

Tennessee State     14  16  15
Memphis             30  30  30

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--The Memphis offense produced 19 services aces to power the Tigers to a 3-0 (30-14, 30-16, 30-15) shutout of Tennessee State (0-2) in the 2004 season opener. Three Tigers finished with double-digit-dig performances to open the season. Heather Watts led the way with 16 to go along with 34 assists and four kills, while Tiara Gilkey and Christen Clayton each had 11. Clayton also had a career-high six service aces. Gilkey and Kristen Hardee led the team offensively with eight kills each. The match was the first for two Tigers who went on to become a pair of the best players to ever wear the Blue and Gray. The freshmen, Ashley Liford and Shelby Burton each collected four kills in her first taste of collegiate action.

Scouting Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky stumbled out of the gates, dropping its first two matches to Lipscomb and at Tennessee. However, the Lady Toppers have rebounded to win four of the last five to carry a 4-3 record into their home tournament. WKU was picked to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference East Division.

The Lady Toppers and setter Lauren Stuckel have four legitimate attacking options, led by Jordyn Skinner's 80 kills. The freshman leads the team with 2.76 kills per set and hits .215. She is assisted by the trio of Tiffany Elmore, Emily Teegarden and Brittany Bowen. Elmore ranks second on the club with 66 kills, but connects at a team-high .345 average. Teegarden has 63 kills, while Bowen hits .294 with 54 terminations. The Lady Toppers hit .258 as a team. They are also tough at the service line. Lindsey Gould leads the way with 11 aces, while Skinner, Stuckel and Sarah Rogers have nine aces each.

On the defensive side of the net, Rogers leads the squad with 119 digs (4.10 dps). The front line is also led by Bowen Elmore and Teegarden. Bowen leads the blockers with 23 rejections. Elmore has 22 blocks and Teegarden, 15.

All-Time Record vs. the Lady Toppers
Memphis and Western Kentucky have split a pair of matches in the all-series. The series dates back to the 1997 season when the Tigers handed the Lady Toppers a four-set loss. WKU ousted Memphis, 3-1, the last time the two met back in 2002 at the Georgia Southern Tournament.