The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Jacksonville State
Blazers Drop 3-1 Match To Jacksonville State
9/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
OXFORD, Miss. – The UAB volleyball team fell to Jacksonville State, 3-1, in its first of two matches on Friday at the Magnolia Invitational. The Blazers will wrap up the tournament against Mercer at 4 p.m. CT on Friday afternoon.
UAB falls 2-7 after the loss, while Jacksonville State improved the 3-5. The Blazers out-hit the Gamecocks with 56 kills on .269 hitting percentage, to Jacksonville State’s 47 kills on .216 hitting.
The difference came from the service line, where Jacksonville State landed 10 aces and the Blazers had 14 service errors on the morning. Both teams were strong on the block, with UAB recording 10.0 and Jacksonville State 9.0.
Four different players reached double-figure kills for UAB. Seniors Sara Rishell and Bethanie Thomas led the way with 12 apiece, while junior Sydney Nelson and sophomore Gabby Deshotel each added 11.
Senior Leslie Ekpe was solid on both sides of the ball, recording nine kills on .533 hitting and leading the team with six blocks. Running the offense for the Blazers was sophomore Amber Treace, who tallied a career-high 51 assists in the match.
Thomas recorded her second double-double of the season after leading UAB in digs with 14. Freshman Alexis Howell added 13 digs in the match, her third consecutive match with double figure digs.
UAB was down 2-0 to Jacksonville State after the Gamecocks won the first two sets, 25-21, 25-19. In the third set, the Blazers were trailing 13-8 and fought back to win the set 25-22. The fourth set was a battle all the way until the final points, but Jacksonville State was able to pull away and take the win 25-23.
The Blazers will play its final match of the Magnolia Invitational at 4 p.m. CT, when they take on Mercer at the Gillom Sports Center.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account: @UABathletics. For volleyball news, follow @UAB_VB.
