The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Opens Home Slate With UAB/Samford Challenge
9/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB volleyball team opens its home slate of matches this weekend as the Blazers and Samford University team up to host the UAB/Samford Challenge, and the teams competing are SE Missouri State, Northwestern State, Radford and Tennessee Tech.
For the UAB/Samford Challenge Tournament page, click here.
Fans can follow throughout the weekend at www.UABsports.com, on Twitter @UAB_VB and on Instagram @UAB_VB.
Match Information: UAB/Samford Challenge
Site: Bartow Arena, Birmingham, Ala.
Date: Friday, Sept. 2 -- Saturday, Sept. 3
Schedule
Friday
10 a.m. Northwestern State vs. SE Missouri State
2 p.m. UAB vs. SE Missouri State
6 p.m. UAB vs. Radford
Saturday
10 a.m. UAB vs. Northwestern State
2 p.m. Tennessee Tech vs. Northwestern State
6 p.m. UAB vs. Tennessee Tech
The Series
UAB will face Radford and SE Missouri State for the first time in the team's history.
The Blazers and Tennessee Tech have met 14 times in school history with UAB leading the all-time series 9-5. The most recently played last weekend at the Catamount Volleyball Classic with Tennessee Tech winning 3-1.
Northwestern State and UAB are meeting for just the third time in school history and the Blazers lead the all-time series 2-0.
On the UAB Blazers
The Blazers opened the season going 1-2 in the Catamount Volleyball Classic in Cullowhee, N.C. UAB lost its first two matches to Western Carolina and Tennessee Tech, and finished the tournament with a win against Charleston Southern.
Head coach Kerry Messersmith is looking forward to this weekend and playing at home. "We've had a good week of practice and we feel confident and ready to go," Messersmith said. "We're excited to play at home and we're going to be an exciting team to watch this season."
In just the first three matches, UAB has already played 12 student-athletes this season in an effort to find what works for the team riddled with injuries. Newcomer Erika Zembyla leads the way for the Blazers with 51 kills (3.64 kills/set). Senior setter Amber Treace has recorded 148 assists and 31 digs.
Haley Jared, Petra Silic and Victoria Young have added a combined 93 kills and the team is averaging 13.07 kills per set. Silic leads the team with 12 blocks, while Young is a step behind her with 11. Emily Martinez has spent most of the time at libero, tallying 66 digs in the first three matches of the season.
Scouting Radford
The Highlanders have jumped out to a fast start to 2016, winning the team's first three matches. They swept Norfolk State and St. Francis while surviving Wake Forest in a five-set victory at the Highlander Invitational.
Maddie Palmer leads the team in kills with 56, good enough for an impressive 5.09 kills per set and a .480 hitting percentage. Sydney Tekstra also stands out with a .333 hitting percentage on 45 attempts. Meanwhile, Haley Kleespies orchestrates the offense from the setter's position with 121 assists in three matches. She is averaging 11.0 assists per set. She also leads the team in service aces with seven.
Defensively, Kaylor Nash has paced Radford with 32 digs. Just behind her is Palmer with 31 and no other Highlander has more than 25. At the net, Amaya Rousseau has put down 10 blocks and nobody else on the squad has more than six.
Scouting Northwestern State
The Lady Demons bring a 2-3 record with them into the weekend.
Alexis Warren struck 54 kills in those five matches, while Kourtney Seaton and Lauren Agan added 45. Meanwhile, Natalie Jaeger runs the offense with 129 assists and 7.17 assists per set.
Defensively, Channing Burleson has 86 digs and Natalie Jaeger 61. The team has 33 blocks on the early season and is led by Kourtney Seaton with 19.
Scouting SE Missouri State
The Redhawks come into the weekend at 1-2 after dropping matches against UIC and Louisiana Tech. The lone SE Missouri State win came against New Orleans in four sets.
Krissa Gearring leads the team in kills with 63 averaging 4.85 kills per set with a .238 hitting percentage. Madeline Grimm is second on the team with 26 kills and no other Redhawk has more than 25. Rachel Poole has dished out 125 assists for the team while adding 35 digs and posting a .240 attack percentage.
Jade Mortimer leads the squad with 59 digs and 4.54 digs per set. The team is averaging 16.15 digs per set and has 23 blocks on the early season, led by Nzingha Clarke with 12.
Scouting Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Tech started the season with three wins at the Catamount Volleyball Classic in Cullowhee, N.C., beating Charleston Southern, UAB and Western Carolina. The Golden Eagles only dropped three sets; two against UAB and one against Western Carolina.
The Golden Eagles have a two-pronged offensive attack with Shealene Little and K'Vonna Johnson filling those roles. Little has 39 kills while Johnson is hot on her heels with 33. Rachel Thomas and Alyssa Posey are also threats with more than 20 kills each.
Sharon Anderson has run the offense with 141 assists and 11.75 assists per set. Kennedy Wade does the heavy lifting on defense with 59 digs for 4.92 digs per set. At the net, Posey is the leader with 10 of the team's 19 total blocks.
A Look Ahead
UAB will travel to Jacksonville, Ala., to play in the Jax State Invitational on Sept. 9-10 at the Pete Matthews Coliseum. Teams that will be competing are UAB, Jacksonville State, Jackson State, New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State. UAB will compete Friday against Mississippi Valley State at 9 a.m. and Jackson State at 4:30 p.m. and will take the court on Saturday against New Orleans at 9 a.m. and will round out tournament play against host Jacksonville State at 4:30 p.m.
