The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Volleyball Hosts Home Opener Against UTEP Sunday
9/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 20, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB volleyball team resumes Conference USA play this weekend when it travels to play at Tulane Friday at 7 p.m. before returning home for its home opener against UTEP on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Bartow Arena. The Blazers are 8-5 (0-1 C-USA) on the year after earning three shutout victories at the U of Memphis Invitational last weekend.
"We're excited to finally get to play on our home floor," said UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith. "We hope all of our fans come out to support us on Sunday, but first we have to take care of business at Tulane."
Tickets for Sunday's home opener are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Fans will be able to follow both matches on Gametracker at UABsports.com. Sunday's match will be web streamed live through All-Access at UABsports.com.
Junior outside hitter Ivana Bozic leads the Blazers in both kills (4.80) and digs (4.17) per game this season after leading the squad in both categories in all three matches last weekend. Her kills per game average ranks her 21st nationally.
Defensively, senior libero Brianna Galvin has 178 (4.05/gm) digs this season and is in position to move up to fourth on the all-time career digs list at UAB. Galvin currently has 1,310 career digs and needs just 24 more to match Tammy Robertson for fourth.
Junior middle blocker Casey Dent holds the highest hitting percentage on the team at .362, while ranking third in total kills with 106 (2.41/gm) Senior outside hitter Fernanda Domingos is second on the team with a 2.90 kills per game average.
Junior Lilly Domingos has continued to improve and become better acclimated to her new setting role. Since taking over as the team's setter against George Mason Sept. 8, Domingos has averaged 11.00 assists and 2.62 digs per game.
"I think we saw some solid progress in terms of making adjustments last weekend in Memphis." Messersmith said. "Anytime you have to play with a new setter there are adjustments that need to be made. It's a difficult process, but I'm seeing improvement every match and that's all I ask for. Lilly is playing better every match and our hitters are adjusting better every match. I certainly believe we are headed in the right direction."
Lilly has been setting in place of junior Nevena Stefanov who is out due to injury.
Tulane enters Friday's match with a record of 11-3 (1-0 C-USA) after going 2-1 at the Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport Classic last weekend.
The Green Wave picked up a 3-1 (30-15, 30-24, 25-30, 31-29) victory in its Conference USA opener at UTEP Sept. 12.
Sara Radosevic leads the team with a 4.08 kills per game average, while Ksenija Vlaskovic ranks second on the team with 3.90 kills per game.
Jenn Miller is coming off of two solid week's for which her play earned her back-to-back Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors. Last week, Miller recorded 30 digs against UTEP before going for 31 digs against Florida A&M over the weekend. Miller is averaging 5.02 digs per game for the year.
The last meeting between the Blazers and the Green Wave was a quarterfinal showdown at the Conference USA Tournament last season. The Blazers won that match, 3-1 (20-30, 30-27, 30-24, 30-28). Bozic led the Blazers with 24 kills and 20 digs, while Radosevic had 30 kills in the losing effort.
Tulane leads the all-time series with the Blazers, 14-7, after UAB won both meetings in 2006.
UTEP enters the week with a record of 6-6 (0-1 C-USA) after its 3-1 loss to Tulane on Sept. 12. The Miners had last weekend off after losing five straight and will host Memphis on Friday night before making the trip to Birmingham.
Amy Sanders is averaging a team-high 3.47 kills per game to go along with 2.72 digs per game. Catherine Chavez is second on the team with a 2.81 kills per game clip.
Elsa Reyes leads the Miners defensively with a 3.70 digs per game average, while Chavez holds a 3.30 digs per game average to go along with her offensive production.
UAB won its only meeting with UTEP in 2006 to even the all-time series, 1-1.
