MEMPHIS, Tenn. – In their home conference opener, the Memphis Tigers (8-6, 1-1) breezed past the Temple Owls (4-9, 0-2) in four sets. The Tigers cruised to an opening set win, saw the Owls answer back, but then rally for 25-23 wins in both the third and fourth sets. The match featured 16 ties and eight lead changes, which included nine ties and four lead changes respectively across the final two sets.
Memphis 3, Temple 1
25-18, 18-25, 25-23, 25-23
Set 1
- Neither side led by more than one until Memphis turned an 8-8 tie into a 12-8 lead with a 4-0 run
- Once ahead 9-8, Memphis never gave back the lead
- The Tigers closed the set on a 5-1 run and ended the set on a block by Elizabeth Orf
Set 2
- Temple opened the set on a 3-0 run and the Tigers never got closer than two
- Ahead 10-6, the Owls went on a 6-0 that included three kills by Gem Grimshaw
- The Tigers fought off two set points with a kill by Autumn Hamilton and ace by Tabytha Toelke before a service error gave the Owls the set
Set 3
- An early 4-0 run put the Tigers in front 5-2, and the Memphis lead grew to five at 12-7
- Temple pulled within one at 14-13 before Memphis rattled off four straight including kills by Sabrina Bianco and Miaya Smith
- Trailing 21-15, Temple used four kills and two Memphis attack errors to tie the set 21-21
- The teams alternated the next five points before a kill by Smith gave Memphis the set and a 2-1 lead
Set 4
- The teams traded leads of one and two points until Temple scored four straight to lead 11-6
- The Owls led by as many as six at 14-8 and 19-13
- An extended 12-4 run by the Tigers turned the six-point deficit into the set win
- Memphis won the match on a block by Orf, the second set in the match that ended with one of her team-high five blocks
NOTABLES
- Elizabeth Orf's 13 kills were her second most with the Tigers (16 vs.