The University of Memphis volleyball squad will play at home Friday as part of a doubleheader with the women's basketball team.
The basketball team will take to the court at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse at 4 p.m. against East Tennessee State and volleyball will follow at 7 p.m. when the Tigers face Temple (16-7).
With a 12-13 overall record this season, head Memphis volleyball coach April Jauregui said the team would obviously like to have a better record and said the team had four or five matches when they had good chances to win.
"We are a few games away from having a completely different season," she said.
The Tigers will enter Friday's game against Temple coming off the 3-0 loss to Louisville (16-7) on Sunday. The game was the third time this season the Tigers were held to zero and the second loss to the Cardinals. The teams battled each other on Sept. 27 when Memphis fell 3-1.
"There is a reason why they (Louisville) are first and 11-0 in conference," Jauregui said. "They kinda have just rolled over everybody."
Friday's matchup will also mark the second meeting between Memphis and Temple. The Tigers collected the 3-0 loss to Temple in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, on Oct. 4. Memphis will look to even the score this week.
Jauregui said the Memphis team has worked all week on Friday's game plan and said playing at home this time around will have its advantages.
"Mainly not having to travel," she said. "The trip to Philadelphia was the farthest trip of the year, and we just have one match to focus on."
In the new American Athletic Conference, unlike in Conference USA, there is no end of the season conference tournament for volleyball. Jauregui said every match is important, and at this point, the team is just trying to stay motivated and finish strong.
The American Athletic Conference volleyball media guide states: "The conference's regular season champion will be rewarded with an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship."
Friday will mark the final game in the three-match home stand at the Fieldhouse. The Tigers have seven games left in the 2013 season.
With only three seniors on the roster, Jauregui said the future looks bright for Memphis volleyball and for the upcoming recruiting class.
"I think we have the right chemistry on the court now, and the team is very capable."
Jauregui said she wanted to thank all of the fans who have supported the team this year and said she hopes to have another strong turnout at the doubleheader Friday.
