The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Closes Opening Weekend With Loss To Georgia Tech
8/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 28, 2010
ATLANTA -- The UAB volleyball team suffered a 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-14) loss to host Georgia Tech on Saturday night in the final match of the Courtyard Marriott Classic at O'Keefe Gym.
Jordan McDonald finished with eight kills and six digs for UAB, while Rachel Fairbanks added five of each. Blazer libero Heather Thomas led all players with nine digs.
UAB (1-2) closed out its opening weekend with one win in three tries, having defeated Alabama A&M in its first match of the tournament on Friday before falling to both Indiana and Georgia Tech on Saturday.
"We knew we were playing two tough opponents today, and we were going to have to play very well to win," UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. "We have talent and we had some strong individual performances; we just didn't have many of them at the same time today."
The Yellow Jackets (2-1), which received votes in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, turned in a strong showing on the offensive end. They got more and more efficient as the match went on, finishing with a .341 attack percentage, including a .462 mark in the third and final set.
Bailey Hunter paced the Georgia Tech attack with 11 kills, while Monique Mead added 10. Setter Mary Ashley Tippins ran the Yellow Jacket offense with 30 assists.
"Georgia Tech played really well offensively, but we also struggled to be in the right spots defensively at the net," Messersmith said. "We had a difficult time making any kind of adjustment tonight."
Sam Serley, who joined Fairbanks with five kills for UAB, brought her total for the weekend to 28 and earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
The Blazers finished third in the tournament behind undefeated champion Indiana and runner-up Georgia Tech.
UAB returns to action next weekend with three matches at the Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, Ala., staring Friday at 10 a.m. CT against Furman.
