The SMU volleyball team was on the road this last weekend to take on Conference USA rivals Memphis and University of Alabama Birmingham. The Mustangs fell short in both games, going 0-2 this weekend in conference play.

The Mustangs fought hard, but went down in four sets against the Memphis Tigers (4-4 C-USA). They started out strong, winning the first set thanks to the strong play of Natalie Peters and Kathryn Wilkerson. The Tigers eventually outplayed the Mustangs, winning the last three sets and going on to win the match.

The conference’s top-ranked UAB (8-1 C-USA) overpowered the Mustangs in three decisive sets. The offensive force of Ivana Bozic recorded 17 kills and led the Blazers. They also recorded 62 digs putting a stop to the Mustangs offense.

A notable player of the weekend was senior middle blocker Peters. She led SMU’s offense against Memphis with 14 kills and a .478 hitting efficiency. She recorded five blocks assists against UAB that pushes her to the top of SMU’s career blocks record. Peters now has 447 career blocks and is only three assists away from taking the career block assists title as well.

The Mustangs continued to get strong performances from their younger players. Sophomore Wilkerson recorded her tenth double-double of the season against Memphis with 12 digs and 13 kills. She led the team with 13 digs against UAB. Freshman Sidney Stewart followed close behind with 12 digs.

Freshman setter Kelli Becerra had a team-high 31 of assists against UAB. Other strong performances by freshmen, such as outside hitters Jessica Oliver and Dana Powell show that the younger players are stepping up for the Mustangs this season.

SMU fell to 3-5 in conference play and has an overall record of 11-12. The team is on the road again this weekend to face two more conference opponents. On Friday, they travel to Marshall to face off at 7 p.m., and at 12 p.m. Sunday they face the East Carolina Pirates.