Memphis Tigers News Archives

September 2005

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09/30/05		Volleyball Opens C-USA Play with Sweep of Southern Miss -- Tigers snap five-match losing streak with strong performance (GoTigersGo.com)
		HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Memphis (9-7; 1-0 C-USA) 30 30 30 Southern Miss (4-5; 0-2 C-USA) 25 23 25 Sophomore Shelby Burton downed 12 kills, hit .348 and posted eight total blocks to lead Memphis to a convincing sweep of Southern Miss in the Tigers' Conference USA opener Friday evening at the Payne Center. Senior Nancy Nellans also logged 15 kills and 12 digs for Memphis, who has now won three-straight C-USA openers. Memphis dominated the match from its outset, using a 5-0 run to control a 6-1 advantage early in the first frame. USM battled back with a six-point push midway through the game to take its first lead 18-17. The Golden Eagles led by as much as three points, 22-19, before Memphis took charge of the game for good. A kill by Burton capped a 4-0 run the put the U of M on top 26-24. USM would score just once more as the Tigers closed the game out by scoring the final four points. USM posted a 3-1 advantage to begin game two, but could not hold Memphis fought back to even the slate at 8-8 before taking the lead for good after an attack error by Southern Miss. The Tigers stretched the cushion to 17-10 on a kill by Nellans. The Golden Eagles closed the U of M lead to four points on four occasions, but that was as close as they could get as Memphis again finished off the game strong for a 30-23 win. The final set saw Memphis take command when Burton hammered down a kill to break a 4-4 tie. Despite a 3-0 surge by USM to knot the score at 11-11, Memphis never lost control of the game. The Tigers scored eight of the next 11 points to take a five-point lead at 19-14 as they cruised to victory in the third game. Along with Burton and Nellans, freshman setter Laura Côtè had a solid performance of 42 assists and 11 digs, while libero Christen Clayton dug a match-high 15 Southern Miss attempts. Côtè and Melissa Nance were also had strong blocking nights for Memphis, who outblocked USM 13.0-9.0. Côtè had four assisted blocks, while Nance added two block solos and three block assists. Jazzmien Stephens and Stevi Cherry led USM with nine kills each. Memphis held the Golden Eagles to a .140 hitting clip with no player reaching the double-digit mark in kills. Kaitlyn Deutsch led Southern Miss with 10 digs. Memphis will now prepare for a Sunday afternoon matchup with C-USA newcomer UCF. Match time is slated for 1 p.m. EST.

09/30/05		Tigers Open League Play with 1-1 Tie at No. 17 Tulsa -- Tie snaps three-game losing streak for Memphis (GoTigersGo.com)
		TULSA, Okla. - Ending a three-game losing streak to begin Conference USA play, the University of Memphis men's soccer battled league newcomer No. 17 Tulsa to a 1-1 tie at the Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium. The game took just over four hours to play because of inclement weather in the Tulsa area. The two teams came out of halftime and played the first 0:49 of the second half before lightning and heavy rains forced the action to be suspended at 8:10 p.m. After a one hour and 32 minute delay and a drop from 82 degrees at kickoff to 70 degrees when play resumed, the game was restarted amid windy conditions at 9:32 p.m. The Tigers entered the delay with a 1-0 lead after senior Andy Metcalf scored his sixth goal of the year in the first half. Tulsa looked to have a great opportunity to put its first point on the board when sophomore Todd Goddard had senior defender Gary Connolly beat by a step as he entered the penalty box area. However, Connolly gained possession from Goddard and quickly countered by playing a ball behind the defense. Metcalf culminated the play when he put the Tigers on the board at the 34:24 minute mark. He dribbled the ball to within seven yards and knocked a shot into the net to tie for the team lead in goals with Marcus McCarty. "We looked very good in the first half," said Memphis head coach Richie Grant. "We played better than we have in a long time in the first half today. We were hungry and wanted this win. We really created a lot of chances." Tulsa regrouped with the weather delay and needed less than 14 minutes to knot the game at 1-1. Senior Matt Wiley played a nice ball to classmate Kyle Brown on the right side. Brown dribbled ahead of the Memphis defenders and pulled up from 16 yards out on the right side and blasted a shot to the top left side of the net at 58:54 for his fifth goal of the year. "We had good momentum coming out before the big delay, and we were hoping to continue that," Grant said. "But our performance today was pleasing. We really played well together and worked hard. We looked like the team we want to become to compete in this league." Sophomore Tyler Strom earned the nod at goalkeeper for the Tigers and collected a career high nine saves in the game. "Strom was definitely the man of the match," Grant said. "He had a good performance tonight and made a couple of vital saves when it was 1-1." With the win Memphis begins league play 0-0-1 and are 4-3-1 overall. Tulsa begins 0-0-1 in its first-ever C-USA game and improves to 3-2-4. The Golden Hurricane tie a school record with its fourth tie in the season. Both teams battled slick conditions and both squads had scoring opportunities, but neither Tulsa or Memphis could capitalize and the contest remained tied, 1-1, at the end of regulation. Tulsa had the best chance of scoring in the first overtime period when Wiley drilled a shot into the crossbar with a little over a minute remaining. The Hurricane controlled the ball for a majority of the overtime period, but could not manufacture a goal. Junior Jonathan Lange narrowly missed scoring the game winner when his header bounced off the left post at the 5:30 mark. Both teams missed key scoring opportunities early in the first half. TU bolted out of the gate at the start of the game by out-shooting Memphis, 6-2. Senior Jamie Dabney found himself in a one-on-one situation with Strom, but Dabney's shot went right into Strom's arms. Minutes later, Memphis just missed its first scoring chance when Metcalf drilled a shot into the near post. Memphis turned the offense midway through the first half and out-shot TU 9-2 during the final 25 minutes of the contest. The Tigers fly to Dallas where they will meet SMU on Sunday at 1 p.m. In two previous meetings, Memphis has yet to score a goal against the Mustangs. Gametracker and live video are available for the game. Links to the broadcasts can be found on the men's soccer schedule page at www.goTIGERSgo.com.

09/30/05		Mikami Records Second Hat Trick as Tigers Bounce Back to Beat Tulane 6-0 -- Courtnee Melton and Laura Pfeffer record first career goals as Tigers win C-USA opener (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn. - After being shutout for the first time this year last Sunday, the Memphis women's soccer team bounced back in a big way with a 6-0 win over Tulane in its Conference USA opener on Friday. Shoko Mikami recorded her second hat trick of the year and second in the last three games while senior defender Courtnee Melton scored her first career goal. Memphis scored four goals in just over a seven minute span in the second half to put the game away. The Tigers improve to 7-3 overall with the win and 1-0 in C-USA play. Mikami got the scoring started just 7:29 into the game when, after knocking a shot off the post and out earlier, she clanked one in off the post for her 10th goal of the year. Kate Murphy and Kylie Hayes assisted on the play. Murphy served a ball to Hayes down the left side and Hayes then dribbled toward the goal before crossing it to Mikami, who shot it off both Tulane keeper Megan Morey and the right post before it went in. It was Murphy's third assist of the year and Hayes' fourth. Melton, a senior out of nearby Bartlett, Tenn., then scored her first career goal at the 37:24 mark to make it 2-0. After a corner kick taken from the right side had bounced offseveral players from both teams, Melton was stationed just outside the far post and one-timed it into the upper left corner of the goal. Tulane had an excellent chance to score and make it 2-1 with just over 10 minutes left in the first half when, after a Memphis foul, Megan Weinlein sent a free kick from about 35 yards out into the box, where Memphis keeper Isabel Briones came out to bat the ball away. However, she batted it right into an oncoming Lauren Peek. The deflection off of Peek looked as if it was going to in but it went just wide of the right post. After having her streak of consecutive games with a goal stopped at six in Memphis' last game, Hayes returned to the scoring column in the 54th minute when she was fed a ball by Mikami and then beat Morey one-on-one on a breakaway. A little over two minutes later, Memphis made it 4-0 when freshman Laura Pfeffer scored her first career goal when she kicked in a cross from Nicky McLeod. McLeod recorded her team-leading fifth assist of the season on the play as she sent the cross from the right side to Pfeffer who was waiting just outside the far post. Mikami then made it a hat trick with a goal at the 59:11 mark and another one at the 60:51 mark. She redirected a cross from Asuka Kubota for her second goal of the night and then was fed a through ball by Hayes and beat an oncoming Morey for the third goal. For Hayes, it was her second assist of the night and her fifth of the year, giving her a tie with McLeod for the team lead in helpers. Tulane had another opportunity to get on the board with just under 12 minutes remaining in the game when Jill Sharp sent a bending shot toward the goal from the left side but Memphis keeper Isabel Briones made an acrobatic save to preserve the shutout. Briones recorded her fourth shutout of the year in goal for the Tigers, needing to make three saves. Morey made 13 saves for the Green Wave, who were outshot by the Tigers 27-7 on the evening. "This is a good way to start conference play," said Memphis coach Brooks Monaghan. "This was a good team effort tonight. Everyone gave up something and I was pleased with how we responded after our last game. We got some of the same scoring chances we had when we lost to SEMO but tonight we finished." Memphis will battle undefeated UTEP on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The Miners, who won their first 11 games of the year, tied with UAB 3-3 on Friday night in the C-USA opener for both of those teams. They will enter with an 11-0-1 record. Postgame Notes: This was Tulane's first game since September 4 and just its fourth game overall this season, as the Green Wave had multiple games cancelled due to both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita ... Mikami, who last week became the first Memphis player to record a hat trick since Jessica Gjertsen in the 2000 season, tonight became the first player to record more than one hat trick in a season since Gjertsen in 2000. Gjertsen had three hat tricks in 2000 and Memphis as a team had four, with Candice Spiniolas having the other ... Hayes and Mikami have now scored in the same game six times out of 10 games and at least one has scored in nine of 10 games ... Mikami now has 12 goals on the year, which is tied for second place in school history. Gjertsen holds the single-season record at 18 ... Hayes now has 10 goals and is tied for fifth on the same list ... Memphis surpassed its total of 84 points from all of last year with its 18 output tonight. The Tigers now have 95 points on the year ... The Tigers also surpassed their goal total from last year (28) and assist total from 2004 as well (28) ... Memphis now has 32 goals and 31 assists on the year in just 10 games.

09/30/05		Women's Golf To Compete in Wildcat Fall Invitational Over Weekend -- Lady Tigers look for another strong performance in Kentucky (GoTigersGo.com)
		The University of Memphis women's golf team will participate in the University of Kentucky Wildcat Fall Invitational on Saturday and Sunday at the University Club golf course. The Lady Tigers travel to Lexington, Ky., for the third year in a row and return after taking third in the tournament last year. In the 2004 Wildcat Fall Invitational, junior Stacey Tate tied for second in only her second collegiate tournament with an 8-over 224. Participating for the U of M in this year's competition are the same five golfers who started the year at the Alabama-Ann Rhoads Invitational where the Lady Tigers finished ninth out of 16 teams. Tate led the group with an eighth place individual finish and will enter the Kentucky tournament in the Lady Tigers No. 1 spot. The other four golfers participating are sophomore Cameron Barber and Ashley Burross and freshmen Kayla Stewart and Rachel Larson. The Wildcat Invitational will be played in a 54-hole format with a 36-hole shotgun start on Saturday. The University Club is a 6,150-yard, par 72 course. UAB, Southern Mississippi and East Carolina will also represent Conference USA in the tournament. Other schools participating in the 15-team field are Ball State, #37 Birmingham Southern, Eastern Kentucky, #32 Florida, #34 Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi State, Murray State, #45 North Carolina, UNC-Greensboro and Richmond. Mississippi State won the tournament in 2004 with Amanda Mathis taking medalist honors. Live scoring of the tournament will be available at www.golfstat.com.

09/30/05		Men's Golf Hosts Memphis Intercollegiate Monday and Tuesday -- 54-hole event will be held at the Colonial Country Club South Course (GoTigersGo.com)
		This Week The Tigers host the Memphis Intercollegiate for the second straight year at the Colonial Country Club South Course this Monday and Tuesday, October 3-4. It will be the second tournament of the year for the Tigers, who finished ninth at their first tournament of the year, the Gopher Invitational in Wayzata, Minn. The Tigers are the defending champions of this event. This is the second year of the Memphis Intercollegiate, which began again last year after a one-year hiatus. Prior to that, it was known as the Hillman Robbins Memorial Intercollegiate. Tournament Format There will be 36 holes played on Monday beginning with an 8:00 a.m. shotgun start. Tuesday will consist of 18 holes with tee times beginning at 8:00 a.m. off both #1 and #10. There will be practice rounds on Sunday morning with a College-Am tournament in the afternoon. Tournament Field (15) Arkansas-Little Rock, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Michigan, Marshall, Memphis, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Penn State, South Alabama, USF, Southern Miss, Tulane, Wisconsin The Course The Colonial Country Club, a private course located in eastern Shelby County, served as the venue for the FedEx St. Jude Classic on the PGA Tour for 19 years prior to its moving to its current location, the TPC at Southwind. Colonial also features a North Course. Both courses were built on rolling terrain and have water hazards that come into play on many holes. Numerous trees line up and down the narrow fairways leading up to the average-sized greens. The Joe Finger-designed course consists of Bent grass greens and Bermuda grass fairways and rough. The par 72 South Course that will play at 7,249 yards for this tournament was not only the home of the FedEx St. Jude Classic but also was the site of Al Geiberger's historic 59 and President Gerald Ford's hole-in-one during the 1976 tournament. Past winners of the FedEx St. Jude Classic at the Colonial Country Club included such notable players as Curtis Strange, Lee Trevino, Jerry Pate, Raymond Floyd, and Hal Sutton. About Memphis The Tigers return seven lettermen from last year, including three players that started at least five tournaments. Keven Fortin-Simard (10 starts), Ian Rochester (7 starts), and Robbie Greenwell (5 starts), all saw plenty of action last year while Clayton Ellis also appeared in five tournaments. The Tigers are coming off a ninth place finish at their first tournament of the year, the Gopher Invitational in Wayzata, Minn. two weekends ago. Memphis was tied for fifth place entering the final round but put up a 79, 80, and 83 in the final round to fall to ninth in a field that featured 10 teams that qualified for NCAA Regionals last year. Despite the disappointing finish, Memphis did defeat the other two Conference USA schools in the field, SMU and UAB. Fortin-Simard had the best tournament for Memphis in Minnesota, averaging a 72.67 in his three rounds to finish in a tie for sixth place. Rochester and Regenold each averaged a 77. Fortin-Simard led the Tigers in stroke average last year, averaging 73.8 strokes per round. Rochester was second at 74.9. Memphis had four different individual medalists last year, two of which -- Fortin-Simard and Rochester -- return to the Tigers this year. Memphis won three tournaments last year -- its first three fall tournaments of the year, including the Memphis Intercollegiate -- and finished in second place in two others. The Tigers were seventh in Conference USA. Starting Lineup for Memphis Intercollegiate (Number of 2005-06 starts in parenthesis) [2004-05 starts in brackets] 1. Keven Fortin-Simard (2) [10] 2. Ian Rochester (2) [7] 3. Mike Regenold (2) [0] 4. Lewis Clarke (1) [1] 5. Josh Ray (1) [freshman] Individual - Robbie Greenwell Individual - Clayton Ellis Lineup Tidbits - Keven Fortin-Simard, Ian Rochester, and Mike Regenold will each make their second starts of the season, as all three all started at the Gopher Invitational as well. - Fortin-Simard will be making his 12th straight start, as he has started in every tournament of his career. All but one start have come at the #1 position. - Rochester will make his ninth straight start. He started the final seven tournaments last year and now the first two this year. - Lewis Clarke will make his first start of the year. He started in just one tournament last year, that coming at the LSU Spring Invitational. - Freshman Josh Ray makes his collegiate debut in the #5 position. He was one of three Tiger golfers that qualified for the U.S. Amateur this past summer. - Robbie Greenwell, who will compete as an individual, made his first collegiate start in the Memphis Intercollegiate last year. - Clayton Ellis will also compete as an individual. The Memphis native also played as an individual at the Memphis Intercollegiate a year ago. He started three tournaments and competed in two as an individual last year. He also started at the Gopher Invitational two weeks ago. Defending Champions This week's tournament will be the first of two tournaments that the Tigers will defend a title at this year. Memphis won the Memphis Intercollegiate last year. They will defend their second tournament crown this year next week at the Missouri Bluffs Classic. Tigers Fail to Move up in Final Round Last year, Memphis never fell below its position on the leaderboard from the second round to the third round. Not once did the Tigers finish below where they stood at the conclusion of the second round as they either held their position or moved up in the third round. That trend did not continue at this year's first tournament, as Memphis was tied for fifth at the end of the second round but fell to ninth to finish the tournament. Fortin-Simard Posts Another Top 10 Finish Sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard placed in the top 10 at the Gopher Invitational with a sixth-place tie. It was the fifth top 10 finish of his career at Memphis. Four of those five top 10 finishes have now come during the fall seasons. Tigers Stand Out Over Summer Four different Tiger golfers had a standout summer. Keven Fortin-Simard, Clayton Ellis, and Josh Ray all qualified for the U.S. Amateur. Both Fortin-Simard and Ellis won their sectionals to qualify while Ray finished second. At the Amateur, Fortin-Simard advanced to the first round of match play. Fortin-Simard also won the Quebec Amateur in Montreal and advanced to the second round of the Canadian Amateur. Ian Rochester won the Memphis Publinks Championship by six strokes. About the Tournament Field Arkansas-Little Rock: This is the third tournament of the year for the Trojans. They have posted a pair of 13th place finishes in their previous two tournaments. Juan Sanz leads the team so far in stroke average at 73.7 while Lee Sanders is second at 75.5. Finishes: Ferrell/Cobb Mean Green Classic (North Texas) - 13th of 14 Cardinal Intercollegiate (Louisville) - 13th of 14 Iowa: The Hawkeyes have played in two tournaments so far this year and have placed in the top five in each of them. Cole Peevler, a freshman, leads Iowa in scoring average 69.8 through six rounds, which included a low round of 65 and a second place finish at the Wolverine Invitational. He also finished fifth at the Hawkeyes' other tournament. Finishes: Hawkeye Intercollegiate (Iowa) - 2nd of 9 Wolverine Invitational (Michigan) - 5th of 15 Iowa State: The Cyclones will be participating in their third tournament of the year. They finished 11th in their last tournament, the Adams Cup of Newport. Joe Cermak owns the top Iowa State individual finish in those two previous tournaments, a 31st place showing. Finishes: William Tucker Invite (New Mexico) - 20th of 20 Adams Cup of Newport (Rhode Island) - 11th of 16 Kansas State: The Wildcats are coming off an excellent performance at their last tournament and will also be playing in their third tournament of the year. They finished fourth at the Wolverine Invitational where they recorded the third-lowest 54-hole score in school history. Ben Kern leads KSU in stroke average at 69.0, with five of his six rounds so far this year being below 70. He finished second at the Cleveland State Invitational. Finishes: Cleveland State Invitational (Cleveland State) - 8th of 17 Wolverine Invitational (Michigan) - 4th of 15 Marshall: The Thundering Herd, one of four Conference USA schools participating in this event, have played in two tournaments so far this year with a 12th place finish being their best at the Adams Cup of Newport. Shawn Warren is Marshall's top golfer, sporting a 75.5 scoring average through six competitive rounds of golf. Finishes: Mid-Pines Intercollegiate (UNC-Greensboro) - T16th of 20 Adams Cup of Newport (Rhode Island) - 12th of 16 Michigan: The Wolverines are coming off a tournament victory at their own Wolverine Invitational, where they topped a field of 15 teams. They also have a third-place finish to their credit. Christian Vozza was the individual medalist at Michigan's tournament while Brian Ottenweller leads the team in scoring average at 69.3. Finishes: Hawkeye Intercollegiate (Iowa) - 3rd of 9 Wolverine Invitational (Michigan) - 1st of 15 Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have played in one tournament and one dual match so far this year. They finished 11th and then were beaten by Ole Miss in the dual match. Carlos Sainz, Jr. leads the team in stroke average at 70.5. Finishes: Tennessee Tournament of Champions (Tennessee) - 11th of 14 Magnolia Cup (vs. Ole Miss) - 2nd of 2 Nebraska: The Cornhuskers won their first tournament of the year, their own Fairway Club Invitational and then finished 10th at their second tournament. Brady Schnell and Judd Cornell lead the team in scoring at 72.67 and 73.17, respectively. Finishes: Fairway Club Invitational (Nebraska) - 1st of 13 Inverness Intercollegiate (Toledo) - 10th of 15 Penn State: The Nittany Lions have played in two tournaments so far this year. They have 10th and ninth-place finishes to their credit. Robert Rohanna has been the top Penn State finisher in both of PSU's two tournaments this year, including one top 10 finish. Finishes: Cleveland State Invitational (Cleveland State) - 10th of 17 Wolverine Invitational (Michigan) - 9th of 15 South Alabama: The Jaguars have played in just one tournament so far this year and they finished tied for sixth at the Reynolds Plantation Classic. Jonny Caldwell and Daniel Burns were the top finishers for USA with a tie for 16th place. Finishes: Reynolds Plantation Classic (USA/Mercer) - T6th of 10 USF: The Bulls have played twice this year, with a fifth-place finish at the Adams Cup of Newport being their best finish. They also placed sixth at the Reynolds Plantation Classic. Justin Fetcho owns the best finish for USF this year, a seventh place showing the Adams Cup. Finishes: Reynolds Plantation Classic (USA/Mercer) - T6th of 10 Adams Cup of Newport (Rhode Island) - 5th of 16 Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles were scheduled to play in two tournaments prior to the Memphis Intercollegiate put withdrew from one due to Hurricane Katrina. In their only tournament so far, Southern Miss won the Reynolds Plantation Classic, shooting the lowest round of any team in the final round. Danny Dennis finished tied for second while Justin Elliott also placed in the top 10. Finishes: Reynolds Plantation Classic (USA/Mercer) - 1st of 10 Tulane: This will be the first tournament of the year for the Green Wave, who are making their fall home at SMU after being evacuated from New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. Tulane was scheduled to play in a tournament at UL-Monroe earlier this year but that tournament was postponed. Michael Thompson is Tulane's top golfer, as he won two tournaments last year, averaged 72.4 strokes per round, and qualified as an individual for the NCAA Regionals. Wisconsin: The Badgers come to Memphis with two tournaments under their belt with a 14th place finish being their best so far. Garrett Jones had been Wisconsin's top finisher in each of its two tournaments, with a tied for fourth being his best finish. Finishes: Cleveland State Invitational (Cleveland State) - 14th of 17 Wolverine Invitational (Michigan) - 15th of 15 Two-Time Participants This year's tournament field has nine teams in addition to Memphis that also played in the Memphis Intercollegiate last year. Listed below are those teams and the places in which they finished at last season's event. Memphis 1st Mississippi State 6th Tulane 7th Arkansas-Little Rock 8th Southern Miss 9th Penn State 10th Iowa State 11th South Alabama 12th Iowa 13th USF 15th Other Tournament Facts - Three teams in the tournament field qualified for an NCAA Regional last year. Those teams are Kansas State, Penn State, and South Alabama. - This will be the first time this year that Memphis is facing any of the teams in this tournament. - Memphis will see nine teams in the tournament field again this year at future tournaments. Those teams are Iowa, Iowa State, Marshall, Michigan, Mississippi State, South Alabama, USF, Southern Miss, and Tulane. Up Next Memphis will return to action next Monday and Tuesday when the Tigers return to defend their tournament title at the Missouri Bluffs Classic in St. Charles, Mo. Memphis won the event hosted by the University of Missouri last year at the Missouri Bluffs Golf Club located in suburban St. Louis.

09/30/05		Injuries testing Tigers' offense -- Coordinator tailors plan to suit Barefield (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact September 30, 2005 The mid-week University of Memphis football practice had ended, and as offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner chatted with a reporter, Fichtner's attention was diverted. On the adjacent practice field, wideout Ryan Scott was about to challenge 6-8 freshman receiver Carlos Singleton in a 40-yard dash. ''Hey Slim,'' Fichtner yelled to Scott. ''You're not running 40s are you? What are you doing?'' Despite Fichtner's modest disapproval, he couldn't halt the friendly competition. Scott and Singleton blasted out of their stances, zipped toward the end zone and survived the four-seconds-plus dash unharmed. But one could understand Fichtner's concern. As the Tigers prepare for Saturday's Conference USA game against league favorite UTEP, Fichtner's offensive planning skills are being challenged. He's losing starters at the approximate rate of one per week. Fichtner opened the season working with junior quarterback Patrick Byrne, who won the job in the spring and held on to it during preseason camp. But Byrne's year lasted three snaps of the opener against Ole Miss before a broken leg intervened. Backup Will Hudgens stepped in, but in the closing seconds of his second start last weekend at Tulsa, a broken leg sidelined him until 2006, too. Saturday, Fichtner will see how a spread offense tailored to the talents of freshman Billy Barefield performs. Barefield will be the third quarterback in four games for a Tiger team that lost one of its top receivers, Mario Pratcher, to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the preseason. ''It's been challenging, and I'm learning a lot,'' Fichtner said of adapting to the loss of two starting quarterbacks. ''But we've got a great offensive staff, and we've all been together for a while. Everyone's coming up with ideas. (Running backs coach) Jeep (Hunter) brought up a play we had run a couple of years back and had been pretty effective. ''No obstacle is too big. We've already seen two big ones (in losing Byrne and Hudgens). We've just got to keep going. We can't cry about it. We've just got to play.'' Barefield, listed at 5-10 and 175 pounds, made his debut two weeks ago in a 59-14 win over 1-AA Chattanooga. Entering the game in the second half, he threw for a touchdown and gained 42 yards on eight carries. In the loss last weekend at Tulsa, Barefield entered the game in the third quarter and sparked a comeback that forced overtime. ''I think Billy is a lot more confident in making the base calls and the communications,'' Fichtner said. ''He's played in games. There's not an unknown here. Obviously, there are going to be things he is going to be asked to do that he hasn't been asked to do in other games. ''But he's grasping everything pretty well. I don't know if he ever wasn't grasping it. He just wasn't having to do it, so it was too easy to forget it.'' Tiger coach Tommy West said making the transition from quarterback to quarterback to quarterback has led to busier staff meetings. He said he's been reluctant to alter too much of the offense as the ability, style and experience of the signal callers has changed. ''The hard part is (deciding what we're) throwing out because we believe in everything we do,'' West said. ''We like a lot of different things, and we're a pretty multiple system. So the hard part has been saying these are things we can't do. When we sit in meetings we say 'Well, we need to keep this, this, this and this.' You don't want to get rid of anything. ''We have a very flexible offensive system, thank goodness. We're a team that plays in space, we're a team that spreads you out. Those things fit these guys.'' Receiver Antonio McCoy said the adjustment the wideouts have had to make is getting used to different throwing styles. ''Pat and Will put the ball out there so you could run under it,'' he said. ''Billy's throws are more on a line. I kind of like how Billy throws. He throws a good ball. It's easy to catch.'' Fichtner said he could never recall losing two starting quarterbacks to the same season-ending injuries so early in a season. ''It's a setback, but it's not the end,'' Fichtner said. ''It's like what coach West said the other day. He said 'If things were rolling easy, we'd be going downhill.''' Shortly after Scott and Singleton's sprint, all-America running back DeAngelo Williams got Fichtner's attention and told him to watch he and Barefield race. ''No,'' Fichtner said, pointing away from the field. ''You get back over there.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 --------------------------------------------------------- Tigers vs. UTEP When, where: Saturday, 7 p.m., at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium TV: CSTV (digital cable channel 651) Tickets: $35, $27 and $15; available at the U of M ticket office, by calling 678-2331 or at gotigersgo.com. Saturday's C-USA games UTEP at Memphis, 7 p.m.; CSTV Tulane vs. SE Louisiana at Baton Rouge, La., 2:30 p.m. SMU at Marshall, 3:30 p.m. So. Miss at East Carolina, 5 p.m. Rice at UAB, 6 p.m. Houston at Tulsa, 6 p.m. UCF at La.-Lafayette, 7 p.m. All times Central

09/30/05		Wimprine to make CFL start (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact September 30, 2005 Former Tiger quarterback Danny Wimprine, who holds most of the school's career passing records, is expected to make his first Canadian Football League start Saturday for Calgary against Montreal. Wimprine, who led the Tigers to bowl games in 2003 and 2004, began the season as the No. 3 quarterback, but injuries to the team's first two QBs moved him into the starting role. Wimprine came in for Jason Gesser in last week's 45-23 win over Ottawa and completed 10-of-21 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. Gesser was sidelined with a high ankle sprain. Also, Scott Scherer, who started at quarterback for the Tigers in 2000, has joined First Tennessee Bank as an investment broker. Scherer, son of former Tiger coach Rip Scherer, spent the past several seasons as a graduate assistant on the staffs at LSU and Southern Miss. UTEP's Palmer reliable UTEP starting quarterback Jordan Palmer will be making his 16th consecutive start Saturday. It represents the longest streak by a Miner quarterback since Sammy Garza started 23 straight during the 1985 and '86 seasons. Palmer ranks in the top five in most of the school's passing categories, and his 40 touchdown passes is second to Billy Stevens, who had 51 from 1965 to '67.

09/30/05		Tiger Notes: Midnight Madness, soccer, volleyball, etc. (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact September 30, 2005 'Midnight' Madness will be televised -- ESPNU to broadcast basketball tip-off The University of Memphis, on Thursday, confirmed previous reports that ESPNU will televise its Midnight Madness festivities at FedExForum scheduled for two weeks from today. "This is another great opportunity to showcase our program, our University and our city to the nation," said Tiger coach John Calipari. "We're ready to start the season, and there's no better way to tip it off than with Midnight Madness on ESPNU." Used to be "Midnight" Madness actually made sense, because it represented schools celebrating the official start of basketball practice at the first available moment, midnight. But thanks to NCAA changes, all Division 1 schools are now allowed to begin practice at 7 p.m., local time on Oct. 14 so that families can enjoy the event without having to drive home at 1 a.m. Consequently, ESPNU has reached agreements to stagger coverage across the country in what will amount to a five-hour broadcast live from five different schools. Memphis will be first, followed by Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Oregon. This will mark the first time since 1987 that ESPN has broadcast any Midnight Madness festivities. Lou Canellis and Steve Bardo will host the Memphis event. "We are thrilled to be able to revive coverage of Midnight Madness as a television franchise in partnership with five of the most successful college basketball programs in the country," said Burke Magnus, ESPNU vice president and general manager. "Midnight Madness has long been a staple in the college basketball community, and we are excited that we can share this great tradition with a national audience." Soccer travels to Tulsa Once ranked but now reeling, the Tiger soccer team will open the Conference USA part of its schedule tonight at 7 at Tulsa. Picked to win the league, Tulsa (3-2-3) is ranked 17th in the nation and has won two of its past three matches, including a 1-0 victory over third-ranked Creighton last week. Meanwhile, Memphis is 4-3-0 after starting the season with four straight wins. Jasper to Kentucky Willie Kemp and Derrick Jasper were the two main point guards being recruited by both Memphis and Kentucky, and it had long been thought one would go to one school and the other to the other. On Thursday, that theory proved true. Just 24 hours after Kemp committed to the Tigers, Jasper held a press conference in Paso Robles, Calif., to announce his commitment to Kentucky. Speaking of Kemp, further confirmation that the anticipation of his announcement Wednesday had UofM fans anxious came via the Internet. MemphisTigers .org had an all-time high of 578 users on its message board at the same time Wednesday afternoon. That's 200 more than the previous high. Briefly The Lady Tiger soccer team opens C-USA play this weekend at home. Memphis (6-3-0) hosts Tulane (0-3-0) tonight at 7 at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. On Sunday afternoon, undefeated UTEP (11-0-0) will play the Lady Tigers at the MRSC at 1. ... The UofM volleyball team will play at Southern Miss today, and at UCF on Sunday. The Tigers are 8-7 after having lost five straight matches. ... Calipari will be in Cincinnati tonight to take part in an event honoring former UC coach Bob Huggins called "Thanks Coach! A Toast and A Roast." The event is being held at U.S. Bank Arena downtown, and organizers have said at least 8,000 tickets have already been sold. Other coaches expected to roast Huggins are Louisville's Rick Pitino, Wake Forest's Skip Prosser and Kentucky's Tubby Smith. ... The UofM men's track and field team announced six additions, among them Greg Norrid, a thrower from Bartlett High. -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 ------------------------------------------------------------ UPCOMING EVENTS Today Men's soccer: at Tulsa, 7 p.m. Women's soccer: TULANE, 7 p.m. Volleyball: at Southern Miss, 7 p.m. Rifle: Tiger Open (ends Saturday) Saturday Football: UTEP, 7 p.m. Women's golf: at Kentucky Fall Invite (Lexington, ends Sunday) Cross Country: at Rhodes Invitational Sunday Men's soccer: at SMU, 1 p.m. Women's soccer: UTEP, 1 p.m. Volleyball: at UCF, 1 p.m. Monday-Tuesday Men's golf: Memphis Intercollegiate (at Colonial Country Club South Course)

09/30/05		Tigers face tough road trip (Daily Helmsman)
		by Trey Heath Staff Reporter September 30, 2005 One might expect The University of Memphis men’s soccer team (7-3) to have a little trepidation about their Conference USA openers this weekend against Southern Methodist and 17th-ranked Tulsa after dropping their last three games. One might even expect the Tigers to be a little nervous opening C-USA play against the very two teams picked ahead of them in preseason polls. After overcoming a 2-0 deficit and scoring three goals in the second half to defeat UAB for the conference championship in 2004, the Tigers has proven to expect the unexpected, and this year should be no different, said Richie Grant, Memphis’ head coach. “We are very confident,” Grant said. “No matter what our record was, we knew this was going to be a big game.” The Tigers began the season right where they left off in 2004 with seven straight victories, including a close 4-3 win at home against No. 23 Oral Roberts. In their last four games, however, the Tigers are winless, with losses to Creighton, Drake and Vanderbilt. “We did some positive things against Vanderbilt,” Grant said. “It has been a little humbling to lose some games. What made this team play well last year was good teamwork and going after that first goal and maybe losing a few reminded us of that.” Today at 7 p.m. The U of M will face Tulsa in what may be one of the toughest opponents this season to face, given the Tigers’ recent three-game skid. Tulsa was picked to win Conference USA ahead of SMU and Memphis in the preseason poll. To add intrigue to the weekend, Tulsa edged out 15th-ranked Creighton 1-0. Creighton had previously handed the Tigers their first loss of the season defeating The U of M 3-1. “We received some video and watched their game against Creighton,” Grant said. “If we play good football, we will have a good chance to win. Tulsa is playing good football, though.” A big part of The U of M’s attack against Tulsa this weekend will be energetic midfielder Adam Montgomery, who has three assists thus far in 2005. “The team is feeling pretty confident,” Montgomery said. “We are eager to win this game and we want to prove we can beat a good team like Tulsa.” While Memphis is recovering from their previous losses, winning in Conference USA is the Tigers’ goal, Montgomery said. “This is our first conference game and we really want to win our first conference game,” Montgomery said. “We want to show the rest of the conference we are the team to beat.” Tulsa won’t be the only tough opponent the Tigers will face this weekend. Even though the Mustangs of SMU have struggled this season with a record of 2-4-2, they have faced some of the toughest competition in the country. Three of the four losses suffered this season by the Mustangs have come against No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 1 Indiana and No. 2 New Mexico. The defeats do not take away from the historic soccer program at SMU, according to Texas native and Tiger midfielder Grant Wise. “SMU is a great team and always has a great crowd,” Wise said. “Growing up I used to go to all the SMU games.” This Sunday the crowd at SMU may get a little more than they expect when the Mustangs host The U of M at Wescott field in Dallas, Texas. “There are expectations, and with expectations come pressure,” Montgomery said. “Last year no one expected anything from us. This year we are the team to beat.”

09/30/05		Tiger ticker (Daily Helmsman)
		THIS WEEK TONIGHT: Men’s Soccer Memphis at Tulsa Tulsa, Okla. - 7 p.m. Women’s Soccer Tulane at Memphis Mike Rose SC - 7 p.m. Volleyball Memphis at Southern Miss Hattiesburg, Miss. - 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Football UTEP at Memphis Liberty Bowl - 7 p.m. TV- CSTV Women’s Track and Field Rhodes Invitational Memphis, Tenn. - 10 a.m. Women’s Golf Kentucky Wildcat Fall Invitational Lexington, Ky. SUNDAY: Men’s Soccer Memphis at SMU Dallas, Texas - 1 p.m. Women’s Soccer UTEP at Memphis Mike Rose SC - 1 p.m. Women's Volleyball UCF at Memphis Orlando, Fla. - 1 p.m. Women's Golf Kentucky Wildcat Fall Invitational Lexington, Ky.

09/29/05		Tigers Host Miners on Saturday -- Game will be broadcast by CSTV (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - The University of Memphis will host UTEP in a C-USA match-up this Saturday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast by CSTV with Billy Burke and Tom Hart providing the commentary. Fans are reminded to arrive early as the Mid-South Fair is in full swing in that area. Tickets to the game are good for free admission to the fair on Saturday. The first 10,000 fans will receive a rally towel. Also, employees of AutoZone and Baptist Hospital can come by the Athletic Ticket Office on the corner of Southern and Normal to purchase $8 tickets to the game. You must show your employee ID for the discount. Saturday's game will be the first ever meeting between the Tigers and Miners on the gridiron. With the Conference USA realignment, the league now has East and West divisions for football. For the second-straight week, the Tigers, an East Division member, will play a Conference USA rival from the West Division in UTEP. Memphis played Tulsa last Saturday. Memphis is one of two East Division teams to open league action playing two West Division opponents. UAB is the other East Division team to open with two West Division opponents (Rice, SMU). On the West side, Rice is the only team to open C-USA play against two East opponents (UAB, East Carolina). While Memphis will face UTEP for the first time in its history, Tiger coach Tommy West has coached against the Miners in his career. West's Clemson Tiger team met UTEP in the 1997 campaign. West coached Clemson to a 39-7 win over the Miners on Oct. 4, 1997. UTEP, PRICE TRIPS TO TENNESSEE: While Saturday's game will be both UTEP's and Miner head coach Mike Price's first trip to Memphis, it will not be their initial venture to the Volunteer state. UTEP's previous visit to Tennessee came in 1990, and the Miners dropped a 56-0 decision in Knoxville. In 1994, Price brought his Washington State team to Knoxville, and lost a hard-fought 10-9 game to Tennessee. MEMPHIS IN CONFERENCE USA HOME OPENERS: Saturday's contest is the Tigers' Conference USA home opener, and they have had quite a bit of success in those games. Memphis is 7-2 in C-USA league home openers. Under head coach Tommy West, Memphis is 3-1 in conference home openers. Last year, the Tigers defeated Houston 41-14 in their league home opener. TIGERS LOSE SECOND QUARTERBACK TO BROKEN LEG: For the second time in just three games, the University of Memphis football team suffered a blow to the offense by losing another quarterback for the season to a broken leg. Redshirt freshman Will Hudgens started his second game of his career against Tulsa this past Saturday and late in the fourth quarter suffered a fractured fibula and ligament damage in his right leg. Hudgens will be evaluated by team doctors on Monday and the course of treatment will be decided at that time. Hudgens started the last two games after starting quarterback Patrick Byrne broke both his right fibula and tibia in the first offensive series of the season opener against Ole Miss. GIVE ME A 'D': The Memphis defense has recorded an interception in each of the last four games, which includes the GMAC Bowl in 2004. Five different Tigers total an interception this season, including Tim Goodwell, Wesley Smith, Rod Smith, Brandon McDonald and Brandon Patterson. The Tiger defense has also recorded nine sacks this season, with Marcus West and LaVale Washington leading the way with two sacks apiece. GIVE ME ANOTHER 'D': Senior running back DeAngelo Williams, who ranks second nationally in rushing with 171 yards per game, has run for more than 200 yards in back-to-back games. He totaled 205 in the win over Chattanooga and returned a week later to roll off 223 yards against Tulsa. It was the second time in his career that he had posted 200 or more yards in consecutive games.

09/29/05		Information Regarding Saturday's Football Game Against UTEP -- Game will be sponsored by AutoZone and Baptist Hospital (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Below is some information for fans planning on attending this weekend's Tiger football game against UTEP. This weekend is the same weekend as the Mid-South Fair, which affects both traffic and available parking. Fans are asked to please allow plenty of travel time prior to the 7 p.m. start time. For those who have not yet purchased their tickets, tickets go on sale at the Liberty Bowl at 2 p.m., Saturday. Prices are $25 and $10 each and are available on a cash-only basis. This weekend's game is being sponsored by AutoZone and Baptist Hospital. Employees of either of those organizations can come by the U of M Ticket Office (located on campus on the corner of Southern and Normal) and show their employee ID and receive tickets for $8. Those tickets are ONLY available prior to game day at the ticket office. The Tiger athletic department has also confirmed that the 28-minute "Building A Winning Tradition" highlight show from last season produced by Running Pony will air free to 600,000+ households on UPN 30, following their SEC football broadcasts. The first airing of the show will be Saturday (Oct. 1) at 2:30 p.m., and a second airing will come Oct. 22 at 2:30 p.m. The third, and final airing will be Nov. 12th at 3 p.m. The first 10,000 fans into the football game Saturday night will receive a rally towel. The University of Memphis Alumni Association will have another installment of its 'Barn Bash' festivities prior to this weekend's game. This week's pre-game festivities will be held in a tent outside Gate 3, beginning at 5 p.m. Drinks and BBQ are available for $5 per person. There will be live music. Tickets for Saturday's game are good for free MidSouth Fair Admission both before and after the game. For further information, please call the U of M Ticket Office at (901) 678-2331.

09/29/05		Women's Soccer Opens Conference USA Play at Home This Weekend -- Lady Tigers take on Tulane, first-place UTEP (GoTigersGo.com)
		Game #10 - Tulane (0-3-0) at Memphis (6-3-0) Friday, September 30 • 7:00 p.m. Mike Rose Soccer Complex (3,000) • Memphis, Tenn. Game #11 - UTEP (11-0-0) at Memphis (6-3-0) Sunday, October 2 • 1:00 p.m. Mike Rose Soccer Complex (3,000) • Memphis, Tenn. This Weekend Conference play opens up for Memphis this weekend with home games against Tulane and UTEP. The Green Wave come to Memphis from their adopted home of College Station, Texas for the Conference USA opener on Friday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m. Then, the first place and currently undefeated Miners take on the Tigers on Sunday, October 2 at 1:00 p.m. This will be the second straight year that Memphis has opened C-USA play at home. Looking Ahead The Tigers hit the road for their second conference weekend of the year as they travel to Greenville, N.C. for an afternoon game with East Carolina on Friday, October 7 at 3:00 p.m., central time. They then continue onto Huntington, W.Va. for a Sunday afternoon game at Conference USA newcomer Marshall on October 9 at 11:00 a.m. central time. Series vs. Tulane Memphis is 4-4-0 all-time against the Green Wave. The two teams did not meet last year, however Memphis has won the last two meetings, both by 4-0 scores in the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Tulane's last win in the series came in 2001, a 1-0 win in Memphis. Series vs. UTEP This will be the first-ever meeting between Memphis and UTEP, which is in its first year in Conference USA. Scouting Tulane Due to the logistical issues caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Green Wave have only been able to play three games so far this year and they are 0-3 in those games, losing to Alabama, Louisville, and Kennesaw State. They will be playing their first game in nearly a month on Friday night. Their last game was on September 4. They were scheduled to host Sam Houston State last week in College Station, their temporary home on the Texas A&M campus for the fall semester, but that game was cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Rita. Through the three games, they have scored just two goals and allowed eight. Scouting UTEP The Miners, one of six newcomers to Conference USA, are a perfect 11-0 and sit in first place heading into Friday night's game at UAB. Eight of their 11 games have been at home and they have played outside the state of Texas just once so far. Sunday's game will be just their third outside the Lone Star State. UTEP is outscoring its opponents 36-9. Melissa Abraham leads the team with 10 goals and 22 points while Jami Tullius has eight goals and 17 points. Brittany Popoff has seen most of the minutes in goal and currently has a 0.61 goals against average. The Coaches Brooks Monaghan (Memphis, 1994) is in his sixth year as head coach at Memphis, where he holds a 45-55-5 career record. Prior to his tenure as head coach, he was the assistant coach in charge of goalkeepers for five years, serving since the program's inception in 1995. Just the second head coach in program history, Monaghan became the program's all-time winningest coach last year with his 35th career win. Betsy Anderson (North Carolina State, 1995) is in her fifth season as head coach at Tulane. She has a career record of 33-38-7 in her five years at the New Orleans school. Prior to coming to Tulane, she was an assistant coach at both her alma mater as well as at American University. She led the Green Wave to their first winning season in school history in her first season at the helm. Kevin Cross (Austin College, 1995) is in his fifth season as head at UTEP, where he holds a 54-27-3 career record. He has led the Miners to 40 wins over the past three years and three consecutive winning seasons for the first time in school history. His teams have made the semifinal round of the Western Athletic Conference tournament in each of the last three years and the Miners finished in second place in the WAC in both 2002 and last season. Tigers Shut Out for First Time Memphis was shut out for the first time this year by Southeast Missouri State on Sunday night in a 1-0 loss. Tigers Debut in Soccer Buzz Regional Poll For the second straight year, Memphis has been ranked in the Soccer Buzz Central Region poll. Last week marked the Tigers' debut in this year's poll at #15 in the Central Region. Despite the loss at SEMO, Memphis remained at #15 in this week's poll. The Tigers were ranked as high as 10th in last year's regional poll. Hayes' Streak Ends Freshman forward Kylie Hayes has her streak of six straight games with a goal scoring stopped in the loss at Southeast Missouri State. Though over, she made history by becoming the first player in school history to score a goal in both five and six straight games. The previous record for consecutive games with a goal was held by Meredith Smith, who scored in four straight games in 1996. Hat Trick In the 5-1 win over Middle Tennessee, junior forward Shoko Mikami recorded the first hat trick for Memphis since Jessica Gjertsen recorded one in the last game of the 2000 season. Multiplying Multiples Last year, Memphis individuals only recorded two multiple-goal matches the entire year. Shoko Mikami recorded a hat trick against Middle Tennessee, the fourth individual multiple-goal match this year. Listed below are the players that have recorded multiple-goal matches this year. Name (Goals) Opponent (Date) Asuka Kubota (2) Tenn. Tech (8-28) Shoko Mikami (2) Tenn. Tech (8-28) Kylie Hayes (2) Evansville (9-4) Shoko Mikami (3) Middle Tenn. (9-18) Back-to-Back Last year, Memphis individuals recorded goals in back-to-back games only three times. This year, through nine games, it has been done three times already. Shoko Mikami has done it twice while Kylie Hayes also has recorded goals in back-to-back games, in fact six straight games. Dynamic Duo So far this year, it is nearly a sure bet that either Kylie Hayes or Shoko Mikami or both will score a goal each game for the Tigers. At least one of them has recorded at least one goal in eight of the nine games so far this year and they have scored in the same game in five of the Tigers' nine games. It's Alive The Tigers have recorded at least one goal in 11 of their 18 halves of soccer played this year. Memphis already has scored 26 goals and recorded 25 assists and 77 points in just eight games. That is already respectively 93, 89, and 92 percent of last year's total as the Tigers recorded just 28 goals, 28 assists, and accumulated 84 points all of last year (19 games). This has all happened despite Memphis losing players that were responsible for 75 percent of last year's offense. More Offensive Facts - Last year, Memphis' top point producer had just 15 points all season long. This year, its point leader, Shoko Mikami, already has surpassed that with 20 points in eight games while Kylie Hayes has 19 points. - Last year's top goal scorers on the team each had only six goals apiece. This year, Mikami has nine goals already and Hayes has scored eight goals all in just eight games. Three Straight Shoko Mikami became the second Memphis player this year to score a goal in three straight games, joining Kylie Hayes. She also became just the eighth player in school history to score a goal in three straight games. Listed below are the players in Tiger history that recorded goals in at least three straight games. Name Year Shoko Mikami 2005 Kylie Hayes (6 straight) 2005 Alison Baker 2002 Alison Baker 2001 Becca Amrozowicz 1999 Jennifer Vossen 1996 Christy Caswell 1996 Meredith Smith (4 straight) 1996 Third Time the Charm Earlier this year, Caroline Barrett had equaled her goal total from last year by scoring both of her first two goals in exactly the same games as last year, the first and fifth games. Last year, unfortunately, she did not score any more goals the rest of the season last year, partially due to being hampered by injuries. However, in Memphis' seventh game this year, Barrett surpassed her goal total from last year by scoring her third goal. Caroline Barrett - Goals 2004 2005 Goal #1 1st game 1st game Goal #2 5th game 5th game Goal #3 N/A 7th game Home Shutout Streak Memphis' streak of four straight home shutouts ended in the 3-2 loss to Ole Miss. The streak of minutes without allowing a goal at home also ended at 451:08. Stingy Second Halves Despite the home shutout streak ending, Memphis has found another area in which its defense has been stingy. That area is the second half of games. The Tigers have given up just two goals in the second half this year through nine games. In both games in which they gave up second half goals, they won, defeating Evansville and Middle Tennessee. Briones Named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week Sophomore goalkeeper Isabel Briones had what was probably the best week of her still relatively young collegiate career as Memphis beat UT-Martin and Missouri State and for her efforts was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week. Briones, who is in her third year at Memphis after redshirting as a freshman and only appearing in five games last year, recorded back-to-back shutouts for the first time in her career with wins over Skyhawks and Bears. They were the third and fourth respective shutouts of her career. Briones has also already logged more time in goal this year than last year, having played just 365:30 in 2004 and already having played all 829:16 in goal this year. Close Together Memphis' second and third goals against UT-Martin were scored just :15 seconds apart. Last year, the least amount of time in between goals was 2:20 between goals by Madison Cheek and Caroline Barrett against Alabama A&M. Everybody (New) Scores Through the first nine games this year, Memphis has had at least one player record her first career point in four of those nine games. Listed below are the games and the individuals that recorded their first career points in those games. Tennessee Tech Kylie Hayes (Goal) Asuka Kubota (Goal) Kate Murphy (Assist) Isabel Briones (Assist) Sarah MacGregor (Assist) Evansville Alexandra Atkinson (Assist) UT-Martin Lindsey Joseph (Assist) Emiko Schwab (Assist) Missouri State Katy Booth (Assist) Lauren Everhart (Assist) Now That's Efficiency Not only did freshman Sarah MacGregor record her first career point by assisting on Asuka Kubota's first Memphis goal against Tennessee Tech, but she also recorded the assist just :29 seconds after entering the game as a substitute. Now That's Really Efficient Freshman Lauren Everhart topped MacGregor's feat by recording her first career point just :10 seconds after entering the game against Missouri State. She stole a goal kick by MSU's goalie and dished to Shoko Mikami for a goal and her first career assist. Still, neither topped last year's quickest point, which went to Elaine Sedgewick, who assisted on a Mary Shelton goal just :06 seconds after entering the game in Memphis' 5-1 win over Charlotte on October 8th. Neutral Success The win over Evansville was Memphis' first win on a neutral field since the 1997 season and the first ever win in program history on a neutral field during the regular season. Memphis' only two previous wins on neutral fields came in the 1996 and 1997 seasons and both were Conference USA Tournament games. The Tigers now have a 3-5-1 all-time record on neutral fields. Mikami Surpasses 2004 in One Game Shoko Mikami, who led the nation in scoring in Division II while playing at Christian Brothers University two years ago, surpassed both her point and goal totals from last year in just one game by scoring two goals and recording one assist for five points against Tennessee Tech. She had just three points (1g, 1a) last year while playing in just 11 games after recovering from a knee injury for much of the first half of the season. Long Time Coming The seven goals scored by Memphis against Tennessee Tech were the most since a 9-0 win over Rhodes on September 1, 1999, which was also the season opener that year. The seven-goal margin of victory was also the most since that same game. Another Shutout For the second straight year, Memphis recorded a shutout on opening day. It was also the fourth time in school history that the Tigers won in a shutout on opening day. Goalie Helps Out Goalkeeper Isabel Briones did something against Tennessee Tech that rarely happens for a goalie, and it was just the second time in Memphis women's soccer history that it happened. She recorded an assist. She assisted on Shoko Mikami's second goal of the day by punting the ball well beyond midfield after making a save. The punt was played out of the air by Kylie Hayes, who dribbled with it before dishing to Mikami for the score. The only other time in program history that a goalie recorded a point was when goalkeeper Heather Chinellato recorded an assist during the 1998 season. Recruiting Class Ranked Highest Ever at Memphis The incoming recruiting class of this year, consisting of 14 freshman and one sophomore transfer, was ranked 27th in the country by Soccer Buzz, the highest ever ranking for Memphis. The Tiger newcomers were the highest ranked team in Conference USA in the rankings and they were also ranked eighth in the Central Region. Below is a list of how other C-USA teams ranked in the national rankings, followed by teams that were ranked in their region. National 27. Memphis 42. Rice 44. UCF 70. SMU 72. Tulane 76. UAB 96. UTEP Regional 8. Memphis (Central) 8. UCF (Southeast) 13. Rice (Central) 13. UAB (Southeast) 17. SMU (Central) 19. Tulane (Central) 23. UTEP (Central) 23. East Carolina (Southeast) From National Team to Memphis Three newcomers on the Tigers have come to Memphis with national team experience for their respective countries. Sophomore Asuka Kubota played on the Japanese Under-19 National Team, freshman Joanna Alexopulos played for the Canadian Under-17 National Team, while freshman Aika Young is a member of the Guam National Team. W-League Experience Freshman Joanna Alexopulos spent her summer playing with Toronto Lynx of the W-League. The W-League is part of the United Soccer Leagues, which is the largest organization of soccer leagues in North America. The USL sponsors both professional and amateur leagues in both the U.S. and Canada. The W-League is now recognized as the highest level of women's soccer in North America due to the WUSA folding a few years ago. Alexopulos saw action in 12 games for the Lynx, whose roster also included former Tiger Yuiko Konno. All-Americans Two members of the Tiger roster were named All-Americans at their previous school. Sophomore transfer Asuka Kubota was an NAIA All-American at Martin Methodist College last year while freshman Chloe James was a high school All-American as a senior at Roger Bacon High in the Cincinnati area. Alaskan Pipeline to Memphis Memphis has a very diverse roster, boasting representatives from 10 states and five countries. One of the more unique things about the Lady Tigers is that two members hail from the State of Alaska, which is remarkable considering that Memphis is over 4,000 miles from Anchorage, where both sophomore Halley Jo Sullivan and freshman Kate Murphy hail from. According to research conducted by Matt Beltz of the Memphis athletic media relations office, Memphis is one of only three Division I women's soccer teams in the country that have at least two players from Alaska on its roster. The only other teams in the country that have as many players from Alaska as Memphis are Montana and Valparaiso, which both have three players each from The Last Frontier. From All Corners of the World For the second straight year, the Memphis roster has representatives from a number of different states and countries. Last year, the Tigers had players from 12 different states and five different countries on their roster and 40 percent of the roster was made up of foreign players. This year, Memphis has representatives from 10 different states and five different countries and just over 30 percent of the roster is made up of foreign players. Mike Rose is Home Once Again For the second straight year, the women's soccer program will play all of its home games at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. Last year was the first year that all home games were played there after only playing conference games there for the previous two years.

09/29/05		Tigers To Be A Part Of ESPNU's Midnight Madness Oct. 14 -- Memphis tips off its portion of the night at 7:00 p.m. (CT) (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The countdown is at 15 days, and the excitement is building in Memphis with the Tigers tipping off the 2005-06 basketball season with Midnight Madness Oct. 14. The University of Memphis is one of five schools that will be a part of ESPNU's coverage of Midnight Madness. The basketball extravaganza is slated for 7:00 p.m. (CT) at FedExForum. A schedule of events for Memphis' Midnight Madness will be announced next week. The Tigers are the first of the five schools to appear on ESPNU's coverage. The schools following Memphis are Kansas at 8:00 p.m. (CT), Kentucky at 9:00 p.m. (CT), Michigan State at 10:00 p.m. (CT) and Oregon at 11:00 p.m. (CT). A college basketball Midnight Madness preview show begins the night's festivities at 6:00 p.m. (CT). Lou Canellis and Steve Bardo will host the Memphis telecast. "This is another great opportunity to showcase our program, our University and our city to the nation," said head coach John Calipari. "Our fans are phenomenal, and I was overwhelmed at the support we had last year when ESPN Gameday came to town. The fans and supporters put on a tremendous show to the country. "We have that same opportunity again in a little over two weeks. We are the first of five schools being televised, so we have the chance to set the stage for the entire night. I'm excited, my staff's excited and the players are excited. We're ready to start the season, and there's no better way to tip it off than with Midnight Madness on ESPNU." The Tigers enter 2005-06 with a lot of promise. Memphis returns eight letterwinners and two starters in 2006 Wooden Award preseason candidates Rodney Carney and Darius Washington Jr. Several preseason publications have picked the Tigers among their top 25 teams in the nation. "We are thrilled to be able to revive coverage of Midnight Madness as a television franchise in partnership with five of the most successful college basketball programs in the country," said Burke Magnus, ESPNU vice president and general manager. "Midnight Madness has long been a staple in the college basketball community, and we are excited that we can share this great tradition with a national audience." ESPN last aired Midnight Madness in 1997. ESPNU, the new college sports network, was launched in March 2005. This year, the NCAA passed a rule allowing schools to hold season-opening basketball celebrations such as Midnight Madness as early as 7:00 p.m. in their respective time zones. The rule, which was passed this summer, was done so to alleviate the concern of families getting home in the early morning hours after attending the preseason basketball celebrations.

09/29/05		Tiger Volleyball Remains on the Road for Opening Weekend of Conference-USA Action -- Tigers to face Southern Miss and newcomer UCF (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Head Coach Carrie Yerty and the University of Memphis volleyball team will finally open the Conference USA slate this weekend, when they travel to Hattiesburg, Miss. for a battle with Southern Miss on Fri., Sept. 30,followed by a match with UCF in Orlando on Sun., Oct. 2. Match times are set for 7 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. The Tigers, who were set to open the C-USA schedule last weekend at Houston, have lost five straight. However, they look to get back on the winning track behind the arm of senior Nancy Nellans. Nellans leads the team on both sides of the net with 194 kills and 194 digs. The South Bend, Ind. Native moved into fourth-place all-time in kills at Memphis in the Tigers last match. She has downed 1,396 kills and is just 35 away from passing Holly Buford for the third spot on the list. Behind Nellans is sophomore Ashley Liford, who has nailed 145 kills. Freshman setter Laura Côté runs the offense and has set 581 assists in rookie campaign. She is currently third on the squad with 132 digs. Sophomore Shelby Burton and junior Melissa Nance lead the way at the net, with 47 blocks each. Memphis is 7-3 in Conference USA openers dating back to the league's inaugural season in 1995. The Tigers have opened the league slate with wins in each of the last two years. Southern Miss (4-4) was also affected by Hurricane Rita last weekend, as both of the Golden Eagles matches were cancelled. USM did, however, get its C-USA season underway on Tuesday with a 3-1 loss at UCF. Freshman Ashley Petrinec is the Golden Eagles leading attacker with 103 kills. Petrinec is the lone USM player with at least 100 kills. Amber Bloom is second with 83 kills, but she leads the squad with 3.32 kills per game. Amanda Blunck is the defensive anchor for the Golden Eagles, leading the team with 155 digs (4.48/g). USM has dropped two in a row. Memphis is 16-11 all-time against Southern Miss. The Tigers cruised to a 3-1 win at USM last year, but have lost three of the last five against the Golden Eagles. C-USA newcomer UCF is 3-5 on the young season, but opened league play with a 3-1 win over USM. The Golden Knights got off to a slow start, at 0-4, but have since won three of its last four contests. They are hitting just .197 as a team. Maina Heming and Jana Mitchell lead the way with 86 and 83 kills, respectively. Katie Kohnen's 95 digs (3.39/g) leads the team defensively. The U of M is 3-3 against UCF, including a 3-1 win over the Golden Knights at the BYU Mizuno Classic in Provo, Utah last season. Before last year's meeting, Memphis and UCF had not met on the volleyball court since 1995. UCF came away with a 3-0 triumph.

09/29/05		Williams enjoys his stints at QB (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact September 29, 2005 Patrick Byrne, Will Hudgens and Billy Barefield aren't the only University of Memphis players who have taken snaps this season. All-America running back DeAngelo Williams has lined up in the shotgun formation on several occasions this season, including five times in last weekend's 37-31 Conference USA overtime loss at Tulsa. Williams gained 15 yards to the Tulsa 14 on his first play at quarterback in the second quarter, which set up his 14-yard TD run on the following snap. In the fourth quarter, he scored on an 8-yard run that tied the game at 31 while lining up at quarterback. On the first two plays of the Tigers' overtime possession, Williams took the shotgun snaps, instead of Barefield, and picked up five and two yards. While he's not a candidate to replace Barefield (who replaces injured starter Will Hudgens Saturday against UTEP), he's enjoying his brief appearances at the position. ''I'm getting comfortable there,'' Williams said. ''I actually feel like a quarterback when I'm back there. I don't know why. The first thing that comes to my mind when I line up at quarterback is what I see when I watch quarterbacks on TV and they're quieting down the crowd. That's the first thing I want to do when I get out there at quarterback, even though I know I can't do it.'' What he can do is be a threat. Even though Tulsa knew he'd be running on those five occasions, Williams gained 37 yards. Against Chattanooga two weeks ago, he had even better success. He rushed for 33 yards on one direct snap and for 20 yards and a touchdown on another. He also threw a 20-yard pass to Carlton Robinzine that was erased by a penalty. ''When they line me up at quarterback -- because we show pass, we show reverse, we show run-action -- (opponents) really don't know what to expect, so they have to honor all three,'' Williams said. ''It's hard. It's like a chess game. If you choose the wrong thing, it's checkmate.'' Hudgens broke his right fibula last weekend against Tulsa and underwent successful surgery Wednesday at the Campbell Clinic. Byrne broke his right fibula and tibia in the opener against Ole Miss. They are both lost for the season. Remaining upbeat For the second straight day, Tiger coach Tommy West complimented his team on a solid practice effort. The Tigers (1-2, 0-1 in C-USA East) play unbeaten UTEP (3-0, 1-0 in C-USA West) Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. ''I like our attitude and how we are approaching things,'' West said Wednesday. ''I like a loose, nothing-to-lose type attitude. That's what we have right now. ''Really, outside losing our two quarterbacks, which is a big loss, this is the same football team that could easily be 3-0 right now. We're working to win a football game. There ain't nobody draggin' their tail around here, and that's the one thing I wouldn't put up with. They've been good.'' Senior tight end John Doucette missed practice Wednesday with a groin injury suffered in Tuesday's workout. West said Doucette's status for Saturday's game is uncertain, and he likely won't practice today. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

09/29/05		Tigers on TV, but who is watching? -- Time Warner subscribers must pay extra to see fledgling CSTV games (Commercial Appeal)
		By Jim Masilak Contact September 29, 2005 R.C. Johnson is thrilled with Conference USA's six-year deal to broadcast its athletic events on the fledgling College Sports Television network. But the University of Memphis's athletic director admits with a laugh that he isn't sure where to find the channel that will carry five of the Tigers' next eight football games, beginning with Saturday night's 7 p.m. game against Texas-El Paso at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. "I couldn't tell you some of the other stuff out there either," Johnson said. For both Johnson and Tigers fans alike, trying to find the U of M's "nationally televised" home game against UTEP in the vast digital stratosphere could prove as difficult as identifying a healthy quarterback. Launched in February 2003 as the nation's first 24-hour network devoted entirely to collegiate athletics, CSTV is available locally on Time Warner Cable channel 651, DirecTV channel 610 and on DISH Network channel 152. The catch? For Time Warner's approximately 210,000 Mid-South customers, CSTV is available only to digital-cable subscribers who pay an extra $1.99 per month for the digital sports tier, a collection of sports networks that includes CSTV and the three competing Fox College Sports regional channels. Satellite subscribers also must purchase a more expensive monthly programming package in order to watch CSTV. So how many U of M fans will be able to watch the Tigers on TV Saturday night? While CSTV was reported to have 8-to-10 million subscribers before striking a carriage agreement earlier this month with DISH, it is unclear how many of those are in the Memphis area. Joe Williams, Time Warner's Mid-South Division communications officer, would not say how many of his company's 210,000 customers currently subscribe to the sports tier. While Williams said "a very healthy percentage" has switched from basic to digital cable in recent years, he also said it would be accurate to say a very small percentage of local customers subscribe to the digital sports tier. "Digital-niche tiers tend to start slowly and grow steadily," said Williams, adding that they often see a spike in sales when football season rolls around. Robert Thompson, founding director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, said those who want to find a particular channel usually do so. "A few years ago Bravo started a show called 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.' It became something of a phenomenon and all of a sudden people wanted to find out what Bravo is," Thompson said. "(Football fans will) do what it takes to find these channels because they want to watch the games. "What has to happen is these channels have to let people know where they are and then attract them and get them to watch those games." Johnson, noting that C-USA has TV rights deals with both CSTV and ESPN, said he is optimistic about the young network's future. "When ESPN started, they were doing rodeos out of Cheyenne at midnight," Johnson said. "We're in this for the long haul. They're making progress. We're very fortunate to have both ESPN and CSTV." CSTV's co-founders, president Brian Bedol and chairman Steven Greenberg, previously founded Classic Sports TV, which they later sold to ESPN for $185 million. CSTV, which also offers live content over the Internet and via pay-per-view, has a 23-month head-start on the recently launched ESPNU, which is in about half as many homes and has yet to strike a carriage agreement with Time Warner. Still, with Fox College Sports and ESPNU competing head-to-head with CSTV on the 24-hour college sports scene, things are getting crowded. "At some point, a saturation point is going to be reached," Thompson said. "Some people expected that would happen a long time ago, that the market place would only support a finite amount of niche sports programming. If it's packaged cleverly, that finite amount may be a lot more than people expected." Unlike 24-hour news networks and music channels, however, networks devoted to sports have an ace up their sleeve in the battle for survival. "The gambling element keeps them afloat in ways other forms of programming are not kept afloat," Thompson said. "If you were in a magic world where you could eliminate all sports gambling, the audience size of some of these sports (networks) would be dramatically reduced." -- Jim Masilak: 529-2311 ------------------------------------------ Tigers on CSTV The University of Memphis is scheduled to have five football games televised by CSTV this season. CSTV is Channel 651 on Time Warner digital cable, but is only available to those who purchase the sports tier. Date / Opponent / Time Sat. / UTEP / 7 p.m. O.15 / at Houston / 4 p.m. O.22 / East Carolina / 2:30 p.m. N.19 / at So. Miss / 7:30 p.m. N.26 / Marshall / 1 p.m.

09/29/05		Bolivar star commits to Tigers -- U of M troubles nearly sent Kemp to Knoxville (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact September 29, 2005 BOLIVAR, Tenn. -- Willie Kemp untucked his shirt, loosened his tie, grabbed a bottled water and leaned back in a chair. The symbolism was hard to miss. "Now I can relax," the Bolivar Central High star said with a smile. "I'm glad it's over." The most intensely followed recruiting battle these parts have seen in some time came to an end Wenesday when Willie Kemp verbally committed to the University of Memphis. The 6-2 point guard chose the Tigers over Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas, and for the same reasons many high-level prospects have over the past few years. "I've just built a great relationship with coach John Calipari, and I know he's going to push me to be the best player and the best student I can be," Kemp said. "I want to go the University of Memphis because I know I'm going to have a chance to win a national championship there." Though most recruiting gurus had this as a race between Memphis and Kentucky, it actually turned into a last-minute, heated tug-of-war between Memphis and Tennessee. Credit Andre Allen and Jeremy Hunt as the reasons. When Maxine Kemp, Willie's mother, read The Commercial Appeal last Friday, she saw stories detailing how Allen was arrested for patronizing prostitution and Hunt was involved in a physical altercation on Beale Street. All of sudden, to her, Memphis didn't seem like a good option, and people connected with UT told her as much. Meanwhile, Tiger supporters countered with the explanation that though they did indeed encounter some recent off-the-court incidents, it was small compared to the problems at UT, specifically that 13 Vols football players have been arrested or cited for crimes in the past 19 months, and that basketball player Jemere Hendrix was charged with marijuana possession in August. Back and forth, it went like this for days. Her conclusion? "There are problems everywhere," Maxine Kemp said. "But I would still feel more comfortable with my son at Tennessee." Even so, Maxine Kemp insisted she is fine with her son's commitment to Memphis, and described herself as "proud." As for Willie Kemp, he said he will work hard to show his mother there is no reason for concern. "When people go out and make the wrong decisions, they do that on their own," Kemp explained. "I'm just going to do my best to not get into the wrong, go to class everyday, get my college degree and become successful." Considering Kemp's track record, that seems likely. The recently voted Mr. Bolivar Central High has already led his prep team to two TSSAA state championships. Combine that with his accomplished AAU background, and there lies the reasons ScoutHoops.com ranks him as the 39th-best senior in the nation with the label of "one of the biggest winners in the Class of 2006." Kemp's announcement gives Memphis three commitments, including previous pledges from Hashim Bailey, a 6-10 center at Patterson School in North Carolina, and Pierre Niles, a 6-8 forward at Florida Prep via Ridgeway High. Now, all focus will turn towards Mitchell High's Thaddeus Young, the third-best prospect in the nation, according to Rivals.com, who has played AAU ball with Kemp and Niles for years. Note to Thad: Get ready for peer pressure. "I'll probably call him tonight, or he might call me," Kemp said. "But me and Pierre are going to start working on him soon." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 -------------------------------------------------- Tigers' class of 2006 The following basketball players have committed to attend the University of Memphis starting in the fall of 2006 (commitments are non-binding): Hashim Bailey, 6-10 center, Patterson (N.C.) School Willie Kemp, 6-2 guard, Bolivar (Tenn.) Central Pierre Niles, 6-8 forward, Florida Preparatory Academy (formerly of Ridgeway High)

09/29/05		Runner excels in all areas (Daily Helmsman)
		by Matthew Laurie Sports Editor September 29, 2005 More than any other sport, cross-country running is the most like life. Every race is different. There are no monotonous tracks offering identical conditions. Life and cross-country tracks are full of bumps, hills and uneven terrain. Daniele Riendeau is having success at races, and, according to her coach Jonus Holdeman, is also doing well at life. Riendeau, a junior, recently won her first individual title at the Harrier Classic in Boston, Mass. For her effort she was also honored as Conference USA’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week. A 5K runner for Memphis, she hasn’t been running all that long. “I started running really late,” Riendeau said. “I started running when I was only 17, competitively. And I really took it seriously when I got to college.” Holdeman still recruited her even though she wasn’t an experienced distance runner. However, running is just one aspect of each recruit. “She’s a scholar athlete in the classroom and very involved in extra-curricular activities,” Holdeman said. “So she’s a really well-rounded person, which is the kind of person we try to recruit.” The feeling of promise was mutual between Riendeau and Holdeman. For Riendeau it was Holdeman’s program and his personal skills that attracted her to The U of M. “I like his training methods and program,” she said. “He sort of focuses on more distance and more mileage. I just felt like he knew what he was doing. I also just like how he treated me as a person than just a runner.” The person that Holdeman met on Riendeau’s trip to Memphis was one of intensity, which carries over to the track and in her everyday life. “She’s really intense most of the time, and, like I said, her competitive persona as a runner mirrors that,” he said. “She’s just a person that doesn’t like to lose. If anything my job, as her coach, is to get her to lower her intensity somewhat, to achieve better balance in her life, running, school and all that other stuff.” In the last two seasons Riendeau has been the team’s top finisher in eight of the last nine races. Last week’s 5K win for Riendeau in Boston vaulted the Lady Tigers to a second-place finish, the highest for the team in the last four years in non-dual meets. The reason for her success is obvious to Holdeman, and one of the reasons is her late start. “She has done the work required to excel,” he said. “She came in running a relatively low number of miles. Over the last two years she’s steadily increased the number of miles she has run, which we know is one of the key factors in becoming a good endurance athlete.” All athletes take tolls on their body with training and competition and fortunately for Riendeau she’s avoided major problems. “She’s done it smart without suffering major injuries,” Holdeman said. “We’ve had occasional setbacks here and there, but nothing that has kept her from training or competing consistently.” Another factor for Riendeau’s and he team’s success is when and where they train. Running in hot and humid Memphis allows the team to perform better in cooler climates. “We go and run in a cooler environment, that’s when it really shows,” said Holdeman. In Boston, Riendeau beat her personal 5K best by 30 seconds and has beaten her personal best in two of the four meets this year. Her 5K time was 17:54 and it was 72 degrees, according to Holdeman. The improvement between races and between seasons gives Riendeau hope that she can complete her ultimate goal either this year or next. I’d really like to go to nationals,” she said.

09/29/05		New players add experience (Daily Helmsman)
		by Tim Miller Staff Reporter September 29, 2005 The University of Memphis baseball team added more new players to its roster this off-season than it has returning players. The Tigers’ fall workouts, which began last Thursday and run six weeks, will seem more like tryouts than practice. “What we’ve done through recruiting 21 new players is we’ve upped the ability level and created more competition for spots at each position, and that’s what is really encouraging that I’m seeing this fall,” said head coach Daron Schoenrock. “We’re going to have some great battles for spots on the mound and in defensive positions.” The 21 new faces joining the ball club this year include four transfers from other four-year schools, and six junior college transfers. These additions bring experience and depth to a team that finished 13-42 in 2004. In his recruiting efforts, Schoenrock said he looked for athletic players that were solid in the field. “In college baseball, you’re never going to have total dominance from a pitching staff, so the ability to defend the field and score enough runs is key,” he said. The non-junior college transfers are particularly important, said Schoenrock, because they bring experience at the Division I level. Ben Grisham, who transferred from Mississippi State, played just about every position for the Bulldogs and will be used in multiple capacities for The U of M. “He will pitch for us and bring a lot of athleticism in the field,” Schoenrock said. “He’s really a fresh arm to the pitching staff.” With only one year of eligibility left, Grisham said he expects to play right away. However, he said that the competition between newcomers like himself and the returning players is very healthy. “This is still their team,” Grisham said. “We’re just trying to make them better. The energy (this fall) is really high and everybody is having fun.” The veterans of the Tiger squad are welcoming the new additions with open arms. According to Cory Barton, a senior catcher, the team is already showing improvement in just the first week of fall workouts. “Coach (Schoenrock) did a good job of bringing good players in and you can tell just from watching so far this fall,” Barton said. “We just need to get everyone on the same page. We’ve got so many new guys, we have to get our communication down.” Schoenrock, who is in his second year with the Tigers, said his staff is going to have to teach their system to a lot of new players, much like they did last year. “I hope I never have to go though this again another year here,” he said. “Ideally, you’re only adding six or seven guys to the program every year, so there is not a lot of re-teaching you have to do.” While improving on their record from last season should not be a difficult task, the new-look Tigers realize the road ahead will be tough. “I think we are going to surprise a lot of people. It’s going to be a big turnaround from last year,” Grisham said. “Hopefully we can flip-flop the wins and losses. I don’t know if it will be that drastic, but it will definitely be a big turnaround.”

09/28/05		Men's Soccer Begins Conference Play at Tulsa and SMU -- Tigers face league's preseason No. 1 and No. 2 team (GoTigersGo.com)
		The University of Memphis men's soccer team opens its Conference USA schedule on the road at the league's preseason No. 1 and No. 2 picks. The Tigers will play No. 17 Tulsa (3-2-3) on Friday at 7 p.m. and then travel to SMU (2-4-2) for a game on Sunday at 1 p.m. Memphis (4-3-0) was picked third in the preseason poll behind the two schools. Tulsa and SMU have 23 combined years of NCAA tournament experience with both giving strong showings in the tournament in 2004. The U of M enters league play with a three-game losing streak after falling to Vanderbilt at home, 4-3 last Saturday. The Tigers have played Tulsa twice and have won both meetings. The two teams met in 1996 and in 1997 with the Tigers winning 3-0 and 3-2. The Golden Hurricanes have played a tough schedule thus far. Last week the team hosted its Golden Hurricane Classic with participating schools including No. 1 New Mexico, No. 19 Creighton and SMU. Tulsa handed Creighton its first loss of the season, 1-0, and then fell to New Mexico in overtime, 2-1. The Golden Hurricane also recently beat Saint Louis 4-1. The Golden Hurricane are led by senior Kyle Brown who has four goals and two assists for 10 points. Tulsa has outscored its opponents 15-13 through eight games. Memphis has met SMU twice and has yet to win a game or score a goal against the Mustangs. The Tigers were shutout 9-0 by SMU in the two schools first meeting in 1982. Nearly 10 years later, Memphis was again shutout by a then No. 1 SMU team, 7-0, in 2001. At first glance, SMU's record gives the appearance of an off-year for the traditionally good program. However, three of the four losses have come against top ranked teams. The Mustangs lost to a then No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 1 Indiana, and No. 2 New Mexico. The fourth loss was to an always good Saint Louis team. The Mustangs enter the week after tying No. 19 Creighton, 1-1. Picked to finish first in C-USA, SMU is averaging 0.94 goals per game while giving up 2. The team is led by Jay Needham who has three goals and Duke Hashimoto who has two. SMU has scored eight goals in eight games, while giving up 17. Gametracker is available for both games. The Tulsa contest will have live audio and the SMU game will have live video through CSTV's all-access package. Links to the live broadcasts will be available on the men's soccer schedule page at www.goTIGERSgo.com.

09/28/05		Possible Liberty matchups limited -- C-USA, SEC deal forbids games between state rivals (Commercial Appeal)
		By Jim Masilak Contact September 28, 2005 In announcing a deal Tuesday to match Conference USA with the Southeastern Conference for the next four years, AutoZone Liberty Bowl president Steve Ehrhart promised matchups that make geographic sense. Just as long as those matchups don't involve teams from the same state. Both the SEC, which returns to the Liberty Bowl fold following a 14-year absence, and Conference USA, which retains what University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson called "our crown jewel," expressed excitement over reaching a postseason pact that once seemed unlikely. The Liberty Bowl will have first selection among C-USA schools and will work with the SEC, which has eight bowl tie-ins, to choose a team that makes geographic sense. The payout for each team will exceed the $1.5 million the bowl paid last year and will escalate in each year of the deal. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the agreement, which runs from 2006-09, is the forbiddance of any intrastate matchups or regular-season rematches in the Liberty Bowl. "That was an agreement that all parties made. That's our agreement," Ehrhart said following a brief press conference at the Memphis Marriott Downtown. Because several SEC schools won't schedule certain in-state opponents, the prospect of UAB playing Alabama or Southern Miss facing Ole Miss in the Liberty Bowl apparently loomed as a potential deal-breaker. "We wanted to get things under way. I didn't want to hold anything up by having a what-if scenario," Ehrhart said. "We're not gonna solve all these kinds of things, some of which go back 20 years." As a result, SEC commissioner Mike Slive said, Liberty Bowl and C-USA officials proposed the restriction on intrastate matchups. "The fact is they came to us with the proposal," Slive said, "and we accepted it." Johnson, however, said he was under the impression that schools could make their own decisions on whether to play a particular opponent on a case-by-case basis. "I talked to (Tennessee athletic director) Mike Hamilton and he said he doesn't mind (the prospect of playing Memphis in the Liberty Bowl)," Johnson said. "I think that got blown out of proportion. The commissioners will sit down at some point and work it out. "I have not talked to Vanderbilt, but I have talked to Mike, and he was fine with it." At any rate, Johnson said, the agreement bodes well for the UofM, which could play in its hometown bowl game even if it fails to win the C-USA title. "We really feel great about it for the university and for the conference," Johnson said. "I have talked to some of our athletic directors, and they have said if it came down to us and whoever, if we're not the champion but maybe one game behind, they'd be fine with us as the first selection other than the conference champion. Obviously we are behind that. "For C-USA, it really is significant there has been an extension. We really didn't care who we played, we wanted to be locked into our own bowl in our own city." Slive had previously said he would prefer that all the league's bowl opponents come from BCS conferences. However, in regard to negotiations with C-USA and the Liberty Bowl, Slive said, "In the final analysis our people were excited about it." "We really value the bowl. The SEC's had a long history and a very significant history with the bowl, and they've done a good job strengthening the bowl," Slive said. "Memphis is certainly a community we consider part of the SEC world. We have a lot of fans there from many of our schools." While the SEC has sent teams to the Liberty Bowl on 23 occasions, it last did so in 1992, when Ole Miss played Air Force. The 2005 Liberty Bowl, whose contract with the Mountain West Conference ended after last year's game, will be held Dec. 31 at noon and will pit a C-USA school against an at-large opponent. "We'll be looking for that magical mystery team to match up with the Conference USA team," Ehrhart said. C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky also announced Tuesday that the league has extended its agreements with four other bowl games. C-USA now has future commitments with the GMAC, Hawaii, New Orleans and Fort Worth bowl games, as well as the Liberty Bowl, beginning in 2006. -- Jim Masilak: 529-2311

09/28/05		Injuries give freshman Barefield opportunity to guide Tigers' offense (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact September 28, 2005 Before he made his debut two weeks ago against 1-AA Chattanooga, it was there. Before he checked to a draw play in overtime against Tulsa last weekend, it was there. Heck, before he stepped foot on the University of Memphis campus in January, the penchant for solid decision-making was a given for Tiger freshman quarterback Billy Barefield. Saturday night at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium against Conference USA favorite UTEP, Barefield will get an opportunity to display that characteristic all effective quarterbacks possess with more frequency. Barefield will make his first start. His ascension to the No. 1 spot has been accelerated by injuries to starters Patrick Byrne, a junior, and Will Hudgens, a redshirt freshman. Byrne broke his leg in the opener against Ole Miss and Hudgens broke his last weekend in the closing seconds of regulation at Tulsa. All of a sudden Barefield's early graduation from Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, La. -- he finished last December -- is looking like, perhaps, one of his best decisions. It allowed him to enroll at the UofM for the spring semester and gain exposure to the Tigers' spread offense during spring practice. When he rejoined the team for preseason workouts in August, he was getting a second look at the offense. ''It was huge,'' Barefield said of the spring practice experience. ''Without that, I cannot imagine where we'd be right now,'' said Tiger coach Tommy West. An exciting runner without the arm strength of Hudgens, Barefield (5-10, 175) has shown an ability to make things happen. In his two appearances, he has given the offense a boost, leading the Tigers (1-2, 0-1 in C-USA) to five scores in eight possessions. Two weeks ago, he entered the Chattanooga game in the third quarter and promptly completed 7-of-8 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed five times for 42 yards, 8.4 yards per carry. Last weekend at Tulsa, he directed the second-half comeback that allowed the Tigers to tie the game and send it into overtime. He also made a crucial check to a run -- the correct call, coaches said -- on the game's final play that came up a yard short in a 37-31 loss. Saturday against UTEP (3-0, 1-0), Barefield will be taking shotgun snaps from the outset. ''Now we're going to have to tailor our offense around Billy,'' said Tiger All-American running back DeAngelo Williams. The season has been somewhat of a blur for Barefield, who was unsure if he'd ever feel comfortable running the Tiger offense during a frustrating spring and preseason. He said he thought too much. He threw bad passes. ''After last spring, I never thought I'd actually grasp the offense,'' Barefield said. ''I thought I'd never get it. I thought I'd be a senior and be going up to coach and saying 'I still don't know it. But after I got shoved into the (backup) role, it pretty much clicked. And now that I'm No. 1, it better click a lot better.'' West said Barefield, and Hudgens, made significant improvements after the Ole Miss game and being moved up the depth chart. ''When we came out of spring (practice), Will and Billy were light years away,'' West said. ''Patrick was solid. I knew Patrick was going to be our starting quarterback. When Patrick got hurt, we made the decision to go with Will and Billy and see what they could do. ''I can't explain it, but they made more improvement after the Ole Miss game to the Chattanooga game than they did the whole spring or during two-a-days. It probably tells you that once you put the heat on them and they had to be the guy, they responded fairly well.'' Barefield said some of the delayed learning curve was the result of limited responsibilities as a high school quarterback. ''For me in high school, all I had do was look off the wrist band,'' he said. ''It would tell me the play. I didn't have to call protections, I didn't have to go under center. All I had to do was know a number and the plays.'' West said he insisted on playing Barefield two weeks ago in a reserve role after Hudgens became the starter. ''I didn't want to be in a situation where I had to throw Billy in to win a game and he'd never been in a game,'' West said. ''I'm not a prophet. I didn't realize it was going to happen the next week.'' What was encouraging, West said, was Barefield's poise under fire. He directed the team like a veteran in the overtime period. ''It was fourth down, we had no time outs left, on the road, I think he can handle it from that standpoint,'' West said. ''He's been in about as much pressure as he's going to be in.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 ------------------------------------------------ Memphis vs. UTEP When: Saturday, 7 p.m. TV: CSTV ------------------------------------------------ The book on Barefield Age: 19 Class: freshman Size: 5-10, 175 pounds High school: Played three years in San Antonio before transferring to Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian. In 2003, racked up 5,052 yards of total offense, the ninth-highest total in prep football history.

09/28/05		Tiger Football Notebook (Quarterbacks, Replays, Surgeries, Sacks) (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact September 28, 2005 QB injuries start domino effect at WR -- Avery now No. 2 quarterback so Robinzine practicing at inside spot With University of Memphis senior receiver Maurice Avery getting reps as the team's No. 2 quarterback this week, Tiger coach Tommy West said Carlton Robinzine will move from an outside receiver to an inside receiver, where Avery starts. Season-ending injuries to quarterbacks Patrick Byrne and Will Hudgens in the team's first three games have boosted Billy Barefield to the starting job and Avery to backup. Avery played quarterback his freshman season. ''We have to be really careful because we have Maurice and Earnest Williams inside,'' West said. ''If Maurice leaves (to play quarterback) there is only one (inside receiver). That makes it a little bit of a jigsaw puzzle to cover all bases because we are in a position now where if one person gets injured it can affect us in a lot of other positions.'' Robinzine, a former Bolton standout, has two catches for 41 yards this season. Replay update West said Tuesday that he discussed the final play of Saturday's 37-31 overtime loss at Tulsa with Conference USA coordinator of officials Gerald Austin. He said Austin admitted the final play, one in which Tiger running back DeAngelo Williams missed gaining a first down on fourth-and-8 by a yard, should have been reviewed. ''I talked to Gerald,'' West said. ''He said (the officials) missed it, and they should have reviewed it. The (policy) in our league is that if the game ends on a play that is reviewable, and it's anywhere near close, we should review it. "They didn't, and it was a mistake. Hopefully, it will never happen again. I'm not saying it was a first down, but I do know it should have been reviewed.'' Surgery update Tiger defensive lineman Rubio Phillips underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Phillips was injured in the season opener against Ole Miss and is out for the season. Also, Hudgens, who broke his right fibula in last weekend's loss at Tulsa, is scheduled to undergo surgery today. Hudgens, who had started the team's past two games, also will be lost for the season. Sack attack UTEP, the Tigers' foe on Saturday, is on pace to register 55 sacks this season, after a 42-sack effort a year ago. The Miners are third nationally this season with 15 sacks, trailing only Nebraska (20) and Washington State (16). Memphis's offensive line, which allowed the nation's fewest sacks (five) in 2004, has yielded only two in three games.

09/28/05		In the news: Tiger runner honored by C-USA (Commercial Appeal)
		Three days after picking up her first-ever individual title at the Harrier Classic in Boston, University of Memphis junior Daniele Riendeau achieved another first as she received her first-career C-USA Female Athlete of the Week honor. Riendeau claimed medalist honors at the Harrier Classic by finishing 30 seconds ahead of the rest of the field as she posted a time of 17:54 for the 5K race, setting a personal-best at the distance by over 30 seconds. The win marked the eighth time in nine races, dating to last season, that Riendeau has been the Lady Tigers' highest finisher. The Ottawa, Ontario, native's first-place finish helped lead the UofM to a second-place finish to give the squad its highest non-dual meet finish in the past four seasons. Riendeau and the rest of the Lady Tigers will be back in action this weekend as they take part in the Rhodes Invitational, to be hosted by Rhodes College at Plough Park in Memphis. The women's 5K race is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

09/28/05		Bolivar star close to choice -- Kemp may announce today, his coach says (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact September 28, 2005 Memphis or Kentucky? Tennessee or Arkansas? Willie Kemp will soon announce his college destination, perhaps as early as today. When he does, the Bolivar Central High star will then presumably relax, having put an end to a recruiting battle that has gone from fun to tiresome as quickly as a perfectly executed fastbreak. "I hope people mean well in trying to give him advice, but they've just been bombarding him with it," Bolivar Central coach Rick Rudesill said Tuesday. "It's tough. But I think he's almost ready to make a decision." Today? "We don't have a press conference scheduled, but it wouldn't surprise me if he's ready (today)," Rudesill answered. "He's close." A 6-2 point guard, Kemp is coming off a visit to Kentucky after having already visited Arkansas, Tennessee and Memphis. ScoutHoops.com ranks him as the 39th-best prospect in the nation, and describes him as "one of the biggest winners in the Class of 2006," which is why he has emerged alongside Mitchell High's Thaddeus Young as one of the Tigers' top two recruiting targets. If Kemp were to choose Memphis -- which has long been considered the leader -- he'd become the Tigers' third commitment.

09/28/05		Tailgating taken to new level at U of M (Daily Helmsman)
		by James Coleman Staff Reporter September 28, 2005 The tailgating vision of two University of Memphis students has finally come to life. Ethan Edwards, a junior economics and geology major, and Greg Donahue, a junior history major, debuted their Tiger party bus at the football game against Ole Miss. Edwards and his friend and fellow U of M student, Jonathan Frazer, drove to Kankakee, Ill., and bought the bus from Midwest Transit Equipment. “It took 10 hours to drive back from Memphis,” Edwards said. “I got passed by everyone on the highway.” Edwards, who has been described as “the mastermind” by Frazer, paid $2,000 for the bus, which is a 1991 Bluebird that can hold 71 passengers. “We had been talking about getting a bus since high school,” Donahue said. “And we like to tailgate.” Edwards and Donahue attended St. Benedict High School together. Now they work at FedEx together while they finish their respective degrees. “We needed a bigger and better way to tailgate,” Edwards said. The duo, with a little help from their friends, worked for “ two and a half months for four to five hours a day,” according to Donahue, to change the yellow school bus into the blue and gray tailgating flagship it is today. The new features of the bus include hardwood flooring, provided by Tim Hogan’s, a CO2 system for the kegs, a Jägermeister machine and sound system. The interior also boasts shelves and leather couches that were constructed, stuffed and upholstered by Edwards and Donahue. “Some ideas worked and some didn’t,” Edwards said. “We still have some things that we want to do to it, but they’ll probably happen after football season.” The back third of the roof has been cut off and converted into a porch. The “MKU3000,” as it is has been dubbed by Edwards and crew, will be residing in its usual space under a large tree just off of the corner of Central at Tobey Field this weekend for the game. “No one else has anything like it.” Frazer said. “It’s what everybody wants.” It had been parked at Frazer’s house, when it’s not in action, until the neighbors complained, and Frasier was threatened with a fine from the city. The bus has since been moved to a new location. Edwards plans on taking the bus to basketball games and concerts. The only road game that they plan on attending this season is UT Knoxville in November. “It gets a lot of honks,” Frazer said, who has been a regular attendee at the bus. “It brings people out who wouldn’t have come out otherwise to see the games.” The MKU3000 promises to become a “staple” of U of M sporting events tail gating, according to Edwards. “It was a little too rowdy,” Donahue said about the pregame celebration before Ole Miss, but he feels that it has been “fantastic” experience overall.

09/28/05		Balanced Tigers ready for C-USA -- Tulane at Memphis, Friday - 7 p.m. (Daily Helmsman)
		by Justin Kissell Sports Reporter September 28, 2005 Confidence and team chemistry are vital parts of any team, and The University of Memphis women’s soccer team believes it has found the right balance. The Lady Tigers begin their Conference USA schedule this Friday against Tulane University, and will try to rebound from Sunday’s tough loss. Southeast Missouri State won 1-0 in Cape Girardeau, Mo., this weekend, getting the goal in the last minute of double overtime. “The last loss was just one of those games where we couldn’t finish our chances,” said head coach Brooks Monaghan. “But we’re not going to put our heads down because we have to use (the loss) to motivate us.” He said the team has worked well since then and believes any mistakes have been fixed. “That last minute of the game really hurt,” said junior midfielder Nicky McLeod. “We still have some things to work on but the loss makes us more hungry for Friday.” Shoko Mikami, who scored three goals in the team’s 5-1 win Sept. 18 at Middle Tennessee State, said the team is working hard on defense and working to generate more scoring chances. The team has 14 freshmen on the roster this season, so experience is key to helping out the younger players. “We’ve got a very young team, but we feel like we’re continuing to improve,” Monaghan said. “Everyone is very close off the field, so that helps out on the field.” Isabel Briones, sophomore goalkeeper, said teammates have worked hard to gain mutual respect for one another, which makes their chemistry unique off the field. She compared the situation to a scene in the recent hockey film “Miracle” in which the players always asked to be treated as a team. In terms of the upcoming C-USA play, the team and coach Monaghan feel the team is close to reaching its best play of the season. “We’re definitely confident going into conference play,” he said. “We’re not at our peak yet, but I think we’ll get there soon.” McLeod said there is so much more at stake during C-USA play and believes the schedule so far has prepared the team well. She added that the team is focusing on concentrating throughout games as part of the team’s goal to play consistently enough to win the conference title. “The competition level we’ve faced so far has really helped us prepare for the teams we’re going to face during conference play,” Monaghan said. The Lady Tigers play Friday at 7 p.m. at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex followed by a Sunday home game against UTEP at 1 p.m.

09/28/05		Liberty Bowl making SEC, Conference USA connection in 2006 (Daily Helmsman)
		by The Associated Press September 28, 2005 MEMPHIS, Tenn. —- The Liberty Bowl announced a four-year agreement Tuesday to match a Southeastern Conference team with the Conference USA champion in the annual postseason football game in Memphis, beginning in 2006. C-USA has sent its champion to the Liberty Bowl since 1996, when the league began football competition. The bowl's agreement with the Mountain West Conference expired last year, so C-USA has an open selection for this year's game on Dec. 31. The Liberty Bowl, with Memphis-based AutoZone as its primary sponsor, has featured SEC teams 23 times over the years. "This is definitely a red letter day for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl," said Steve Ehrhart, the bowl's executive director. "We have a rich history with the SEC that dates back to the inaugural Liberty Bowl in 1959." Mississippi made the latest SEC appearance in the Liberty Bowl, defeating Air Force 13-0 in 1992. Alabama's Bear Bryant ended his coaching career at the Liberty Bowl in 1982, leading the Crimson Tide to a 21-15 victory over Illinois. How the SEC will select its Liberty Bowl participants was not disclosed.

09/27/05		Tiger Spikers Swept by Arkansas State -- Nancy Nellans moves into fourth on Tigers' all-time kills list (GoTigersGo.com)
		JONESBORO, Ark.-- - Memphis (8-7) 26 22 23 Arkansas State (6-8) 30 30 30 Memphis dropped its fifth consecutive match in a 3-0 loss to Arkansas State Tuesday evening at the ASU Convocation Center. Senior outside hitter Nance Nellans led the Tigers with her eighth double-double of the year--15 kills and 13 digs. With her eighth kill, Nancy Nellans surpassed Ginger Garrett and moved into fourth-place on Memphis' all-time kills list. Both teams battled through seven ties before the Tigers found themselves trailing 16-10 after a 6-0 A-State push. Memphis clawed back into the contest with a five-point run rally of its own to pull within one at 16-15. The Tigers continued to fight and tied the game for the eighth time, 19-19, on a kill by Ashley Liford. ASU then made a 3-0 push to take the lead for good at 22-19. Nellans downed her fifth kill of the game to close the U of M deficit to 26-27, but that would be as close as the Tigers would get in a 30-26 loss. The Tiger defense held the Indians to just .148 hitting in the opening game. Game two saw Memphis fall behind 3-0 before scoring the next four points to claim an early 4-3 lead. ASU regained the lead at 12-10, but Memphis battled even on a kill by Shelby Burton and a solo block by Melissa Nance on consecutive plays. The Tribe took command of the game with a 7-1 rally that put Memphis behind 24-17. ASU finished the game off with a 5-1 run to take a 2-0 lead into the break. Memphis was held to a .000 attack percentage on 10 kills in the second game. A five-point surge by the Indians gave them a 7-2 advantage early in game three. Arkansas State increased the lead to 15-8 and the Tigers were never able to recover. Memphis used a 5-1 push to close the gap to 22-19, but ASU responded with four straight scores to push the Tiger deficit back to seven at 26-19. The Indians hit .303 in the final game. Kristin Kirby and Phillipa Soulsby led Arkansas State, who has now 19 straight at home, with 11 kills each. Randilyne Volkmer posted a career-high 27 digs on the defensive end for the Indians. Nance was the only other Tiger to record double-figures in kills, with 11. Junior libero Christen Clayton made 14 digs, while Laura Côtè posted 10 digs to go with 36 assists.

09/27/05		Riendeau Named C-USA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week -- After first-career victory, junior picks up first C-USA weekly honor (GoTigersGo.com)
		Irving, Texas - Three days after picking up her first-ever individual title at the Harrier Classic in Boston, Mass., Memphis junior Daniele Riendeau achieved another first, as she received her first-career C-USA Female Athlete of the Week honor in a release by the conference office on Tuesday. Riendeau claimed medalist honors at the Harrier Classic by finishing 30 seconds ahead of the rest of the field as she posted a time of 17:54 for the 5K race, setting a personal-best at the distance by over 30 seconds. The win marked the eighth time in nine races, dating back to last season, that Riendeau has been Memphis' highest finisher. The Ottawa, Ontario native's first-place finish helped lead the U of M to a second-place tally as a team to give the squad its highest non-dual meet finish in the past four seasons. Riendeau and the rest of the Lady Tigers will be back in action this weekend as they take part in the Rhodes Invitational, to be hosted by Rhodes College at Plough Park in Memphis. The women's 5K race is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

09/27/05		Rubio Phillips has Successful Surgery -- Will Hudgens to have surgery on Wednesday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis senior defensive lineman Rubio Phillips had successful knee surgery today according to Head Athletic Trainer Amos Mansfield. Phillips tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the season opener against Ole Miss. Dr. Barry Phillips of the Campbell Clinic performed the surgery this morning to recons