Houston Rallies to Win Five-Set Thriller

HOUSTON – After trailing by two sets in the match, the University of Houston Volleyball team stormed back to reverse sweep Memphis in five sets (22-25, 25-27, 25-16, 25-23, 17-15) on Friday night inside the Fertitta Center.

With the win, the Cougars (11-2, 7-0 AAC) remain the only undefeated team in the American Athletic Conference West Divison and own the most league victories amongst the entire conference. This is the second time in as many years Houston has started conference 7-0. Houston has now won five of its last six contests with the Tigers (5-6, 2-5 AAC), includinig four in a row.

Houston's defense is what fueled the comeback, as the Cougars totaled a season-high 90 digs in the match. Spearheaded by junior Torie Frederick's match-high 29 digs, the Cougars saw four different players surpassed the double-digit dig mark.

Sophomore Abbie Jackson (17) and freshman Sarah Martinez (20) each tallied a career-high in digs, while senior Abby Irivine's 14 digs marked a season-best. Jackson also funneled 26 kills to complete her third double-double of the season and seventh of her career.

Set 1

After both teams battled it out to start the match, Houston opened a five-point lead at the 15-10 mark.
The Tigers then fought back to tie it at 18, courtesy of an 8-3 run.
Houston held a 22-21 lead, but Memphis responded by scoring the final four points to win 25-22 and take a 1-0 match lead.

Set 2

Houston held a steady lead for much of the set, but Memphis never went away, tying the score twice in the frame.
The Cougars found themselves with the chance to tie the match, but the Tigers scored four of the final five points to win 27-25 and claim a 2-0 match advantage.

Set 3

Once the Cougars opened up an eight-point advantage at 18-10, Houston never looked back, cruising to the 25-17 win to force a fourth set.

Set 4

In a tightly contested battle that saw a total of 14 ties, neither team was willing to give in, as no side held a lead larger than three points.
After a block at the net from Kendall Haywood and Rachel Tullos tied the score at 21, Memphis was forced to call a timeout.
Down the stretch, Irvine went to the service line and recorded an ace to give Houston the 25-23 set win and force a decisive set.

Set 5

After trailing 9-3, the Cougars found themselves in a deficit they never backed down from, as a 9-3 run of their own tied the score at 12.
With the scored knotted at 13, the Cougars found one last run in them, scoring four of the final six points to win 17-15 and cement the 3-2, comeback match victory.

UP NEXT
Houston looks for the season sweep over Memphis when the Cougars host the Tigers inside the Fertitta Center Saturday. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+ here.

ATTENDANCE POLICY
Due to COVID-19 protocols outlined by Houston Athletics, attendance at the Fertitta Center will be pass-list only and limited to the student-athletes and coaches of the home and visiting teams.

These protocols are subject to change as Houston Athletics will continue to monitor the need for adjustments to the attendance policy.

STAY CONNECTED
Follow Houston Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram at @UHCougarVB, and "Like" UHCougarVB on Facebook.

JOIN POINT HOUSTON CLUB
Fans can help support the Houston Volleyball program by joining the Point HOUSTON Club. To find out more information about the Point HOUSTON Club, visit UHCougars.com or call Cougar Pride at (713) 743-GoUH.

– UHCougars.com –

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Abbie Jackson

Isabel Theut

Celeste Darling

Kortlyn Henderson

Players Mentioned

Torie Frederick

Kendall Haywood

Abbie Jackson

Sarah Martinez

Rachel Tullos

Players Mentioned

Torie Frederick

Kendall Haywood

Abbie Jackson

Sarah Martinez

Rachel Tullos

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