Are you ready to watch a team that will not quit?
Memphis Volleyball Spikes Into Action At Elma Roane Fieldhouse
If so, be at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse on Friday for the season opener for Memphis volleyball in the Rumble at the Roane event. The action will need to be accompanied by coffee and pancakes as the Tigers face USC Upstate at 10 a.m. This will be followed by a meeting with Northwestern State at 7 pm. The weekend will conclude on Saturday, as Memphis tangles with Tennessee State at 12:30 to close the event. All matches will be streamed on ESPN+. In this piece, we will briefly preview the new-look Tigers, along with the weekend opponents.
Who Are The Tigers?
We at 4 Star Sports recently sat down with new head coach Cheri Lindsay for an exclusive conversation on the program. In that transparent talk, we learned much about the shape of the program as she entered. Per Lindsay, the Tigers only fielded three returning players on the roster when walking through the doors at the Finch Center.
Since then, the future of the program has been set as Lindsay unveiled her and her staff have completed the next two recruiting cycles, and the roster is intact. This is massive for the newly announced coach as the program makes a return to the iconic Elma Roane Fieldhouse for the first time since the 2019 season. Lindsay told us, “I just be winning games, when asked what ‘Sold‘ Memphis on her as their next coach when interviewing.
To add some context to her quote, Lindsay spent two seasons with Prairie View A&M and compiled a 36-29 record while leading the Lady Panthers. This success is key to her success as the trio that returned is a part of a retooled roster. The returners, Courtney Nix, Abigail Schlueter, and Jasmyn Tate, are joined by 13 newcomers for this season.
To discuss a few, Lindsay is joined by former Lady Panther, Janyah Henderson, as she follows her coach to the Bluff City. In addition to her, Memphis added Amanda Hardt, from Omaha, who adds experience along with instant impact to the roster. Hardt recorded 498 kills in 46 matches for the Lady Mavericks. This will be tested in this initial event to open the season. This, along with the emotion of returning to the Roane, will be a vital weekend for Memphis.
Who Are The Opponents?
Friday
USC Upstate Spartans
As mentioned, Memphis will compete on both Friday and Saturday. To start the weekend, Memphis will meet USC Upstate. The Spartans enter the 2025 season after a 13-15 season, including finishing 8-6 in the Big South Conference last season.
This season, the Spartans return seven players, including All-Big South preseason selections Ady O’Grady and Savannah Page, who combined for 538 kills in 2024. This pair will be joined with a mixture of newcomers to supplement the mentioned returners. In addition, the Spartans bolstered their roster with six freshmen and three transfers. This match will mark the first in the history of these two programs.
Northwestern State Lady Demons
The nightcap on Friday will feature a meeting with the Northwestern State Lady Demons. Under the new leadership of Ben Kaszeta, who also took over the program in January. In a rough 2024, the Lady Demons finished the campaign 8-17 and 3-13 in the Southland Conference.
This season, Northwestern State returns four players, which is massive. These include Deja Benjamin and Olivia Bush, who combined for 243 kills and 183 blocks last season. This, along with an influx of youth, with eight freshmen, and this roster has promise once in conference competition. In addition to the youth, this roster is filled with four juniors and one senior. In the series between these programs, Memphis leads, 3-0, and this is the first meeting since the 2014 season. .
Saturday
Tennessee State Tigers
To dig it out on the final day of competition, Memphis will meet Tennessee State. The Tigers of Nashville made waves last season as they returned to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. This was the first time back to postseason conference play since the 2007 season. In the end, TSU finished 10-22, which included a 6-12 record in conference play.
Senior setter Sagia Reilly returns after recording 678 assists in 2024. Outside hitter Malae’ Lacy earned OVC Players to Watch honors, while transfer middle blocker Sydni Polston joins the program after playing at Mississippi State. The series history leans to Memphis’ favor as the Bluff City Tigers lead 6-2. Tennessee State has won the last two meetings, which took place in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
In closing, the opening weekend is a fresh start for many involved. We have spoken with Lindsay and she spoke of allowing her players to face challenging situations. On Friday, the butterflies will be in the pits of the stomachs, but not because of fear. Yet, these are fluttering with excitement to spike into a new era of Memphis volleyball. Stay tuned as we at 4 Star Sports will have recap coverage following the opening games on Friday.
