MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis Tigers (11-14, 4-9) avenged yet another early season loss with a 3-1 victory over the SMU Mustangs (12-11, 8-5) Friday at the Larry O. Finch Center. After they were swept on the road by the Mustangs to open American Athletic Conference action, the Tigers answered with a come from behind win on their home court. The match featured a combined 46 ties and 19 lead changes. While neither set saw fewer than eight ties or four lead changes.
Memphis 3, SMU 1
22-25, 25-20, 25-22, 30-28
Set 1
- The set featured 16 ties and five lead changes
- After Memphis led 4-1, neither side led by more than two points until SMU's ace that closed the set
- The Mustangs ended the set with four straight points as part of an extended 7-2 run
Set 2
- The Tigers trailed by as many as three (15-12) but responded with a 5-0 run
- Memphis didn't lead by more than two until a 6-0 run set up set point at 24-19
- A pair of aces from Sabrina Bianco highlighted Memphis' closing 7-1 run
- Bianco achieved her double-double through just two sets with 29 assists and 10 digs
- Tabytha Toelke has six of her match-best 16 kills in the set
Set 3
- Neither side led by more than three until a block by Gigi Crescenzo capped a 3-0 Memphis run and put the Tigers in front 15-11
- SMU used a 4-0 run sandwiched around a Memphis timeout to lead 19-17 before the Tigers rallied for three straight points
- The Mustangs took a 21-20 lead on a kill by Hannah Jacobs, but Memphis scored five of the next six points, which included the final three, to take the set
- Miaya Smith had five of her 15 kills in the set
Set 4
- SMU had four set point opportunities to extend the match to a fifth set
- The Mustangs opened the set on a 7-2 run while Memphis eventually drew even 14-14 and led 16-14 with a 6-0 run
- Smith posted a kill on two of SMU's set point chances, while Crescenzo and an SMU error erased the others
- Toelke's 15th kill of the match gave the Tigers match point, while the freshman followed with another kill that gave Memphis the win
NOTABLES
- Sabrina Bianco (53 assists, 16 digs) and Tabytha Toelke (16 kills, 14 digs) each notched their third straight double-double
- Bianco now has 11 double-doubles on the year while Toelke has five
- Bianco's 53 assists were a season-high while Toelke's 16 kills were a career-high
- Miaya Smith, who tallied her most kills while with Memphis last time out, followed up with a 15-kill performance and has 32 total kills in Memphis' past two matches
UP NEXT
- Memphis will quickly hit the road and head to Philadelphia for Friday's matchup against Temple at 6 p.