The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
WKU
Blazers Take on WKU, Charlotte for Weekend Matchups
10/27/2022 1:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BIRMINGHAM – The UAB Volleyball team returns to action this weekend as they travel to Bowling Green, Kentucky to take on the No. 23 WKU Hilltoppers on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. The Blazers then return to Birmingham where they'll host Charlotte on Sunday, Oct. 30 at noon.
"There's certainly a lot of excitement heading into the weekend coming off this last weekend and Erin's defensive player of the week honor," said head coach Betsy Freeburg. "We are working on using that momentum for us to continue to be hungry and drive to get better each day this week."
UAB (10-11, 5-4 C-USA) vs. WKU (21-2, 9-0 C-USA)
Oct. 28 | 6 p.m. | E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.
LIVE STATS
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
In the previous meeting between the Blazers and Hilltoppers, UAB would fall in a straight-set loss to WKU in the first match of conference play. The Hilltoppers, who are one of two teams in the league that are Top 25 teams, are ranked No. 23 as of Oct. 24. So far, in the last four matches WKU has played, they've only dropped two sets.
The Hilltoppers have six top five individual conference leaders spots in C-USA as of Oct. 22. Lauren Matthews currently leads the conference with kills with an average of 5.14 kills per set, along with holding the number three spot in points with a total of 4.45 points per set. On the defensive end, the Hilltoppers holds two spots in the blocks category, with Matthews and Katie Isenbarger both holding the number six and four spots in blocks. As a team, the Tops hold the top spot in hitting percentage and blocks.
UAB (10-11, 5-4 C-USA) vs. Charlotte (8-13, 2-7 C-USA)
Oct. 30 | 12 p.m. | Bartow Arena | Birmingham, Ala.
WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS
The Blazers come off a 3-0 win over the 49ers in their first week of conference play on Sept. 25. The match, though ending in a straight-set victory, stayed in close quarters between UAB and Charlotte, with the score margin sitting at an average of 3.33 points. The 49ers sit at the number eight slot in the league and are currently coming off a three-match losing streak.
One standout match Charlotte had was on Oct. 16, where the 49ers took the Rice Owls to five sets. Rice eventually won the match, but Charlotte outperformed the Owls in the hitting category, with a hitting percentage of .273 to Rice's .260. Junior Emani' Foster, who leads the league in kills averaging 5.09 per set, finished the match with 25, just three shy of her career-high of 28.
QUOTES FROM BETSY FREEBURG
"WKU is a very good team with a unique system that they execute at a high level. We never got clicking on an offensive level the last time we played, and we feel like we've found our rhythm a little better now. We're going to have to combine both toughness and intelligence to have success against both WKU and Charlotte."
"Charlotte has gotten healthier since the last time we played them, and we are expecting a physical battle. We did a good job last time containing their offense and we're going to need to combine that with a more balanced offensive attack."
COSTUME DAY
The Blazers will be hosting a costume-themed match on Sunday against Charlotte. Fans who arrive in a costume will gain $3 entry for the afternoon matchup.
2022-23 GOLD CARD
Purchase the 2022-23 Gold Card for $65 here. The 2022-23 Gold Card will get you access to all home events for Women's Soccer, Men's Soccer, Volleyball, Women's Basketball, Softball, and Baseball (Regions Field & Young Memorial). This card is not valid for Conference USA or NCAA Championship events.
To keep up with the UAB Volleyball Team, follow @UAB_VB on Instagram and Twitter.
