Oct. 25, 2005

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis volleyball team will begin its five-match homestand on Wed., Oct. 26 when it plays host to Ole Miss in a non-conference battle at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Match time is set for 7 p.m.

Memphis, who has played just seven home matches to this point in the season, enters the contests on a two-match losing streak. However, the Tigers have not lost at home this year and have won eight-straight at the Roane Fieldhouse.

The Tiger offense is paced by senior Nancy Nellans. Nellans, who has 330 kills on the year, moved into second place all-time at Memphis in kills with in the SMU match. The South Bend, Ind. native now has 1,532 career kills. She is also fifth all-time at Memphis with 1,331 digs. Sophomore Ashley Liford averages 3.17 kills per game and is just 13 kills away from reaching the 600-kill mark in just over a year-and-a-half of action.

Defensively, Memphis is led by Nellans' 343 digs and Christen Clayton's 325. Melissa Nance and Shelby Burton have been strong at the net for the Tigers. Nance leads the team with 80 total blocks, but Burton has a team-high 1.07 blocks per game.

Ole Miss (7-15) has lost four straight, and 12 of its last 13 contests. Nikki Hill and Jaclyn Toohey are the Rebels 1-2 punch with 304 and 279 kills, respectively. However, after Toohey, no Rebel play has more than 135 kills. Ole Miss is hitting .188 as a team while its opponents are hitting .256.

Ole Miss snapped Memphis' 13-match win streak in last year's contest in Oxford, Miss. The Tigers are 33-33 all-time against the Rebels.