Nov. 14, 2009

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis volleyball team, will wrap up the 2009 season on Sat., Nov. 14, when it takes on UAB at Bartow Arena. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.

The Tigers, 7-23 over all and 3-12 in C-USA play are coming off a split in one of the league's toughest trips last weekend. Behind 21 kills from redshirt freshman Altrese Hawkins, Memphis ousted East Carolina, 3-1 in a match televised by CBS College Sports on Friday night. Hawkins connected for 19 kills versus Marshall on Sunday, but it wasn't enough as Marshall handed the Tigers a four-set loss.

Hawkins and fellow freshman Marija Jovanovic pace the Memphis offense with 3.10 and 3.40 kills per set, respectively. Hawkins leads the team with 326 total kills. That total is the fourth-most kills ever recorded by a Tiger freshman.

Junior libero Becky Shaffer has picked up a club-best 44 digs in the Tiger backrow. That production ranks sixth on Memphis' single-season digs list. Junior setter Christine Bach is second on the squad with 275 digs. Bach ranks ninth all-time at Memphis with 1,292 career digs. Sophomore Carolyn Baker leads the blocking efforts at the net with 86 total blocks.

Scouting UAB
UAB has punched its ticket for the upcoming C-USA Tournament with a 16-15 mark over and a 8-7 record in league play. The Blazers, who have won six of their last eight matches, will have the No. 7 seed in the tournament.

Defense is the strength of the Blazer's game. They hold opponents to a lowly .193 attack percentage. The Blazers rank third in C-USA in blocking, making 2.35 rejections per set. Michelle Uzoh and Patty Paniagua rank second and fifth in the league, respectively with 1.24 and 1.12 blocks per set. Heather Thomas leads the team, ranks third in C-USA and is in the top-50 nationally with 4.70 digs per set (542 total). Thomas picked up a career-high 36 digs in a match versus Southern Miss earlier this month.

The UAB offense get a club-best 328 kills from Andrea Lalic. She has over 60 more kills than freshman Sam Serley, who checks in at second on the team with 261. Serley has had a strong rookie campaign, ranking seventh in the league in hitting. Meanwhile Uzoh is fifth among all league performers in attack percentage. The league's top serving squad with 1.40 aces per set, the Blazers get 35 aces each from Lalic and Alison Woods.

The Series
The series between UAB and Memphis has become increasingly competitive over the last three seasons. Memphis holds a healthy 37-14 record against UAB, but since 2005, the two teams have split regular season play. UAB has won six of the 10 matches since 2005, including a five-set comeback in the 2006 C-USA Championship match. In the same fashion, UAB outlasted Memphis in the last match between the two in the C-USA opener on Sept. 17. The Tiger jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but watched the Blazer storm back to claim a five-set victory.

Christine Bach, Katlin Inglish and Lauren Thompson all posted double-doubles libero Becky Shaffer made a career-high 27 digs and Altrese Hawkins put down a career-high 14 kills, but in the end Memphis was unable to hold off a UAB rally in a 3-2 loss at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse, Thursday evening.

Bach handed out a match and career-best 51 assists to go with 12 digs. Inglish downed 12 kills and made 12 digs. Thompson recorded a career-high 20 digs and slammed 11 kills.