University of Houston
Memphis (Semifinals)
Volleyball Bows Out to Memphis in C-USA Semifinals
11/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 19, 2006
HOUSTON - A night after knocking off defending champion Marshall, the University of Houston volleyball team lost a 3-1 decision to Memphis (27-30, 30-32, 30-25, 14-30) Saturday evening at Hofheinz Pavilion in the C-USA Semifinals.
The Cougars (19-15) are eliminated from the C-USA Championship, while Memphis (27-7) moves on to championship match. The Tigers will face UAB Sunday at 5pm for the leagues automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
"Every night's not your best game, and tonight certainly wasn't ours," head coach Bill Walton said. "The real thing that hurts is a couple of players had a chance to do something to help the team win, and they just didn't come through when we needed it the most."
"Words don't even describe how I feel," outside hitter Kelly McAnelly said. "We were all a little bit slower and didn't have that fire that we've had the last two days. It's really disappointing."
McAnelly pounded home 19 kills to go along with 11 digs, while Justine Farmer chipped in 15 kills and added 12 digs for her league-leading 24th double-double of the season. Becca Sartori also cranked 12 kills, and Krystal Schulle passed out 48 assists in addition to corralling 14 digs for the Cougars.
The Memphis offense was fueled by Laura Côté, who dished out a match-best 67 assists. Five players notched double-digit kills for the Tigers led by Shelby Burton, who ripped 21 kills on a .576 attack percentage. She also tallied five aces and seven blocks.
Houston got off to a slow start on offense and couldn't overcome a .039 attack percentage in the opening game. The Cougars cut into a 29-23 deficit, staving off four game points by forcing a trio of Tigers attack errors. After a Sunshine Misa-Uli dig at 29-27, the ball dropped the floor without finding a setter allowing Memphis to escape with a 30-27 win.
The Cougars fell behind at the beginning of game two but fought back to grab a 29-27 advantage. The Tigers got a critical side out and capitalized on a UH ball handling error coupled with a pair of attack errors to fuel a 5-1 spurt. One of Burton's five aces gave Memphis a 32-30 victory.
Despite being down 2-0 at the break, the Cougars dug deep and put together an impressive performance in the third game. Houston cranked 22 kills on a .594 attack clip. McAnelly connected on nine of 11 swings without an attack error as the Cougars took a 30-25 win.
Memphis responded by scoring 16 of the first 22 points in game four and concluded the match on a 14-6 run to close out the victory, 30-14.
"You have to give Memphis credit," Walton said. "After we beat them in game three, they got fired up instead of dwelling on it. They came out and served rockets at us. We had a hard time passing and getting back into our offensive rhythm."
Houston concludes the regular season with a trip to the Golden State. The Cougars open the Bankers Classic squaring off with San Francisco. First serve against the Dons is slated for 5pm Friday on the University of Pacific campus.
"Next weekend is a chance for us to still finish the season on a happy note," Walton said. "We have a chance to go out, win another tournament and finish the season with 21 wins. "
Cougar notes will be available at a later time.
