Memphis volleyball opens their season at the University of Georgia Benson Hospitality Invitational in Athens, Georgia, against High Point (N.C.) at 3 p.m. Friday.
Coach April Jauregui and her team will hope to build off a successful 2014 season, which saw them win the most conference games (13) in Tiger history, on their way to a 23-11 record.
Jauregui said, in a Daily Helmsman article earlier this month, Tiger fans can expect her team to play hard this season.
“One thing is for sure is we will play hard,” she said. “This group is a lot of fun to watch. Our conference is so strong and competitive that every match will be a dogfight. That is the type of season I want. I cannot predict how many matches we will win because there are no easy games. We will have to earn every win, every point, every recognition.”
The Tigers then play Wofford University 10 a.m. Saturday and play the hosts the Georgia Bulldogs at 7 p.m. later that night.
Old foes UAB and Memphis clash again
Second year soccer coach Richard Mulrooney and the University of Memphis men’s soccer team will kick off their season this weekend against former Conference USA foe UAB.
Though the two are no longer in the same conference – since Memphis’ departure to the American Athletic Conference in 2013 – this will be the 25th consecutive year the Tigers and Blazers have met on the pitch. UAB has won the last two games in this series.
"This should be a great match," Mulrooney said in a press release. "I respect what (UAB coach) Mike Getman has done with that program. I've talked about our program becoming a well-oiled machine and that is about as well-oiled as you can get. They know the way they play and they recruit the type of players for that. I haven't beaten them and I'd like to change that around."
Memphis hosts UAB 7 p.m. Friday night at Mike Rose Soccer Complex.
Women’s soccer team travel to Samford
For the second week in a row, the Memphis women’s soccer team will take on a team from Alabama.
They will hope it goes as well as their season opener Aug. 21, when they defeated the University of Alabama 1-0 at Mike Rose Soccer Complex courtesy of a goal from freshman Elizabeth Woerner.
Memphis takes on Samford University, the first game of a three-game road trip for the Tigers that will also see them also take on UAB on Sunday and Dartmouth.
"Samford is a team that we've played quite a bit in the past. They are a very well-coached team and they're very athletic. We need to get better this week to give ourselves a chance to compete in that game," said Memphis women’s soccer coach Brooks Monaghan.
The two teams will play in Birmingham, Alabama, 7 p.m. Friday
