The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Volleyball Announces 2002 Schedule
4/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
April 24, 2002
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB has released its 2002 volleyball schedule, Head Coach Melinda Claiborne announced today. The Blazers' schedule will feature seven NCAA Tournament participants and two teams that finished in the USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 poll last season.
"This will be the most competitive schedule UAB Volleyball has played in many years," said Claiborne. "The program is at the level that we need to be tested to continue to get better. Obviously, we face some real volleyball powerhouses. Our goal is to make it into the NCAA Tournament. To do that, we need to be at the top of our conference. I believe this schedule definitely prepares us to be competitive in conference and will help us in our RPI rating."
The Blazers begin the season at the University of Florida's tournament Aug. 30-31 in Gainesville, Fla. UAB will face Florida, who advanced to the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked sixth in the USA Today/AVCA Top 25 poll last season. UAB will also face 2001 NCAA Tournament participant Illinois, who finished the season ranked 20th, at the tournament.
After returning to Bartow Arena for the home opener against in-state rival Alabama Sept. 3, UAB will host the UAB Invitational Sept. 6-7. The tournament will feature UAB, in-state foe Troy State, East Tennessee State and Tennessee State.
The Blazers then travel to Ogden, Utah to play in the Weber State Tournament Sept. 13-14. There, UAB will face Weber State, UC-Riverside and Lamar.
The Wake Forest Tournament Sept. 19-10 in Winston Salem, N.C. will be UAB's final in-season tournament of the year. The Blazers will take on 2002 NCAA Tournament participant San Diego State, Wake Forest and Winthrop.
The Blazers' Conference USA schedule features home games with Charlotte (Oct. 4 in the C-USA home opener), East Carolina (Oct. 5), Memphis (Oct. 19), Saint Louis (Oct. 22), Marquette (Nov. 8) and 2001 NCAA Tournament participant DePaul (Nov. 9).
Additional non-conference home games include Samford (Sept. 17) and Pittsburgh (Oct. 18).
