The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Jacksonville State
Blazers Close Weekend With Saturday Sweep Of Jacksonville State
9/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 6, 2008
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The UAB volleyball team wrapped up a perfect weekend Saturday with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-19) sweep of Jacksonville State.
The Blazers (3-2) finished undefeated for the weekend at Jacksonville State's Holiday Inn Express & Suites/Hampton Inn & Suites Gamecock Invitational after also posting wins Friday over Ole Miss and Creighton.
"I'm really pleased with our team's effort today and this whole tournament," UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. "We knew coming in that we were going to be facing some high quality teams, so for us to go 3-0 is a great accomplishment and something to build on."
In Saturday's win, outside hitter Ivana Bozic and setter Nevena Stefanov both posted double-doubles. Bozic recorded her third double-digit kill performance of the weekend with 13 and also added 14 digs. Stefanov tallied 30 assists and 10 digs. The senior has now posted at least 30 assists in four of UAB's five matches.
Stefanov and Bozic -- who played in just her second event since offseason shoulder surgery -- were both named to the Gamecock Invitational all-tournament team.
"I really thought Ivana ran our offense with a lot more confidence this weekend," Messersmith said. "She and Casey Dent both played very well. We also minimized our errors, and that was a big key."
Dent finished the match with nine kills and posted a team-high .667 hitting percentage for the day.
In the opening set, UAB trailed 9-7 before rattling off 10 consecutive points. Bozic notched two kills during that stretch, and Andrea Lalic added one of her six kills as the Blazers opened up a 17-9 lead and cruised to a 25-12 win in the first set.
UAB never trailed in the second set and fell behind only briefly to start the third set on the way to a three-set sweep.
UAB returns to action next weekend when it travels to Laramie, Wyo., for the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic. The Blazers open the event Friday with matches against Cleveland State and Wyoming before wrapping up play Saturday against Kansas.
