June 27, 2007

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Head coach Carrie Yerty released the University of Memphis volleyball team's 2007 schedule today. The schedule showcases 16 home matches, including seven Conference USA matches at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.

A season-opening matchup against Louisville, on August 24, in the Louisville Invitational will highlight the 33-game regular season ledger. The Tigers will take on Tennessee Tech and Coastal Carolina in the three-game tournament.

Following the Louisville Invitational, Memphis will compete in the Pepsi Challenge (hosted by Eastern Illinois) before wrapping up the pre-season by hosting a pair of non-conference tournaments. The Tigers will welcome Nicholls State, Austin Peay, Arkansas-Little Rock and SEC foe Mississippi State in its first home tournament--the Memphis Invitational--on Sept. 7-8.

Yerty's bunch will open the 16-match C-USA schedule on Sept. 13 when it hosts UAB prior to its second home tournament--the Tiger Invitational. Memphis and UAB will participate in the Invitational, although their match is not scheduled as part of the weekend tournament. The Tigers will wrap up its season-long eight-match homestand against Stetson, UL-Lafayette and Arkansas State in the Tiger Invitational.

Memphis will dive back into league play on Sept. 21 and 23 at UTEP and at home against Tulane, respectively. The Tigers will then hit the road for the next three matches versus Southeast Missouri (Sept. 26), UAB (Sept. 30) and Central Arkansas (Oct. 2).

The Tigers will return home to host Southern Miss and UCF for the next C-USA weekend (Oct. 5 and Oct. 7), before making the tough road trip to ECU and Marshall the following weekend.

A pair of home matches versus Rice (Oct. 19) and Houston (Oct. 21) will precede a showdown with Ole Miss on Oct. 23. The Rebels are one of two opponents to advance to the NCAA Tournament last year.

The Tigers will then prepare for a four-game road swing that will pit them against Southern Miss (Oct. 26), UCF (Oct. 28), SMU (Nov. 2) and Tulsa (Nov. 4).

Memphis will round out its regular season and C-USA schedule at home with a pair of matchups against ECU (Nov. 9) and Marshall (Nov. 11).

The Thundering Herd will host the 2007 C-USA Championships from Nov. 15-18.

The U of M returns eight letterwinners, including four starters from the 2005 squad that went 27-8 and advanced to the title match of the C-USA Championships. The Tigers will be led by All-Americans Shelby Burton and Laura Côté, along with senior outside hitter Ashley Liford.