The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Volleyball Travels To UCF And Southern Miss
9/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 28, 2005
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB volleyball team hits the road this weekend to begin its 2005 Conference USA schedule. The Blazers (9-1, 0-0 C-USA) head to UCF for a 7 p.m. ET matchup on Friday with the Golden Knights (3-5, 1-0) before traveling to Southern Miss (4-4, 0-1) Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
UAB last took the court at the Nike Invitational hosted by Eastern Kentucky University Sept. 17 in Richmond, Ky. The Colonels handed the Blazers their first loss of the season with a 3-0 sweep on Saturday afternoon in McBrayer Arena. But UAB bounced back and responded with a 3-1 victory over UNC Greensboro later that evening.
The Blazers were scheduled to open conference play last weekend against Rice and Houston, but the matches were postponed due to Hurricane Rita.
UAB is led by freshman sensation Ivana Bozic. The first-year player from Serbia & Montenegro has earned plenty of accolades in her first 10 collegiate matches. Bozic was named Conference USA Volleyball Player of the Week on Oct. 12, and was named to two consecutive all-tournament teams. After winning just one match in 2004, Bozic has helped the Blazers start the season with a 9-1 record this year. She has played in every game and leads the team in kills (166), kills per game (4.74), service aces (20) and ranks second in digs (100). Bozic has also notched a team-best six double-doubles, including a career-best 29-kill, 13-dig effort against UNC Greensboro Sept. 17.
UCF is coming off a 3-1 victory over Southern Miss on Tuesday evening at UCF Arena in each team's first conference match of the season and the first ever C-USA contest for the Golden Knights. The Golden Knights have won three of the four all-time matches against UAB and are led by Maina Heming and Jana Mitchell who combine for nearly six kills per game.
Southern Miss hosts Memphis on Friday in Hattiesburg before welcoming the Blazers Sunday afternoon. Ashley Petrinec, Amber Bloom and Stevi Cherry each average over three kills per game for the Golden Eagles. The Blazers are 11-15 all-time against Southern Miss.
