UAB Hangs Tough Against No. 18 Rice

Sunday, November 3

Birmingham, Ala. / Bartow Arena

1 p.m.

UAB

11-12, 3-7CUSA

Rice

21-1,10-0CUSA

RICE

UAB

UAB Hangs Tough Against No. 18 Rice

11/3/2019 5:06:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

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BIRMINGHAM – The UAB volleyball team battled No. 18 Rice to a pair of tight sets, but was ultimately swept on Sunday afternoon in Bartow Arena. The Blazers were edged by just three points in the second set and came within a point of clinching the third set before the Owls rallied late to win the match.

"Our team played really well today," said coach Amy Pauly. "We came out a little stiff in the first set, but after that, we stuck to our game plan, executed at a really high level and played aggressive."

Player Spotlight
True junior outside hitter Abby Carlile finished off her successful weekend by leading the Blazer attack. The Southlake, Texas, native posted 11 kills, including a pair of aces, along with nine digs and a two blocks through the match.

"Over the course of the weekend, Abby stuck out to me by being a really good contributor and teammate. She stepped up when Fern (Maida) got hurt on Friday and brought a spark of energy," said Pauly. "Today, she did the same thing with her offense. She is a very terminal attacker. When you get her going, she's a spark plug that every team could use."

How It Happened
UAB (11-12, 3-7 C-USA) held its own against highly touted No. 18 Rice (20-1, 10-0 C-USA). The Owls came into the match with a victory over No. 1 Texas under their belt and only one five-set loss on the year, but the Blazers managed to top them in certain phases. Namely, UAB sniped six aces to Rice's four.

Rice took control early in the first set and never surrendered it. The Owls built a 14-4 lead and kept a 10 point gap up to a 20-9 lead. Rice finished the set on top, 25-13.

The second set was a different story as an early four-point Blazer run put UAB up 7-4. The two sides traded equal blows until Rice managed to get ahead, 19-15. The Blazers continued to fight back, drawing within two points near the end, but the Owls finished off the set for a 25-22 win.

UAB put more pressure on Rice in the third set, jumping out to a 9-4 lead in the early stages. The Blazers continued to press forward up to leads of 16-10 and 19-15. A five point Owl run at that point put Rice on top for the first time in the set, but UAB answered with four straight points to take back the lead at 23-20. The Blazers reached set point with a 24-21 advantage, but the Owls took the next five points to clinch the set, 26-24, and the match sweep.

Up Next
UAB will next host conference opponents Southern Miss and Charlotte for its final home stand of the season. The Blazers will kick off the weekend against Southern Miss on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m., then welcome Charlotte for Senior Day on Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. Tickets for both matches are available now, and live stats along with a live stream will be provided for both matches with links located on the UAB schedule page.

Volleyball season tickets are on sale by purchasing the 2019-20 Gold Card for $65. The Gold Card is an exclusive offer that grants you admission into all UAB volleyball, men's and women's soccer, women's basketball, baseball and softball events for the upcoming academic year. Contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 for more details.

For more information on the UAB volleyball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter or Instagram (@UAB_VB).