The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Tulane
UAB Splits In Sand Action Friday
3/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The UAB sand volleyball team split action in the Tulane Duals Tournament on Friday. The Blazers picked up a win over tournament-host Tulane.
UAB (1-3) started the day strong with a 3-2 win over Tulane. The No. 1 pair of Kiriana Hirini and Bethanie Thomas won their first match over the Green Wave, 21-19, 28-26.
Seniors Rachel Fairbanks and Sara Rishell combined for their second-straight win, topping Tulane, in straight sets, 21-17, 21-15. Closing out the win at the No. 5 position was senior Becca Howard and freshman Avei Logoleo, who improved to 2-1 as a pair. The duo won their match, 21-16, 21-19.
In the second match of the day, UAB dropped a close one to Mercer, 3-2. Hirini and Thomas recorded their second win of the day at the No. 1 position, defeated Peel and Penrod, 21-16, 21-12.
The other win for the Blazers came at the No. 5 spot with Howard and Logoleo earned a 21-19, 21-19 over Mercer's Otten and Johnson. Seniors Ally Slaughter and Leslie Ekpe played a tough match that went to three sets. The pair won the first set, 21-17, but Mercer came back to win the next two.
UAB will be back in action on Saturday and Sunday for the South Carolina Tournament in Columbia, S.C. The Blazers will play Carson-Newman and Florida State on Saturday, then Tulane and host South Carolina on Sunday.
Results
UAB 3, Tulane 2
No. 1: Hirini/Thomas (UAB) def. Mertz/Nguyen (Tulane), 21-19, 28-26
No. 2: Juric/Wegner (Tulane) def. Ekpe/Slaughter (UAB), 21-15, 21-8
No. 3: Fairbanks/Rishell (UAB) def. Holmes/Weaver (Tulane), 21-17, 21-15
No. 4: Liddle/Shurtz (Tulane) def. Moreno/Messisco (UAB), 21-9, 21-7
No. 5: Howard/Logoleo (UAB) def. Diirell/Strasner (Tulane), 21-16, 21-19
Mercer 3, UAB 2
No. 1: Hirini/Thomas (UAB) def. Peel/Penrod (Mercer), 21-16, 21-12
No. 2: Rochefort/Becton (Mercer) def. Slaughter/Ekpe (UAB), 17-21, 21-15, 15-12
No. 3: S. Peel/Sorensen (Mercer) def. Fairbanks/Rishell (UAB), 21-14, 21-10
No. 4: Krogman/Brett (Mercer) def. Messisco/Moreno (UAB), 21-14, 21-10
No. 5: Howard/Logoleo (UAB) def. Otten/Johnson (Mercer), 21-19, 21-19
