The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
2-4,0-0AAC
SIUE
1-5,0-0OVC
Volleyball Finishes With Comeback Win Over SIUE
9/2/2023 10:51:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
CHICAGO – UAB Volleyball concluded the final day of the UIC Invitational with a 3-2 win over the SIUE Cougars. The Blazers, who rallied back from a 1-2 deficit, totaled 38 kills in the final three sets to defeat the Cougars. They sit at a record of 2-4.
Three ladies in Green and Gold finished with double-digit kills, including freshman Mia Reese with a 20-kill match, while Kelsey Smith finished the weekend with a double-double and an All-UIC Tournament Team Nod. The Blazers hit .377 on the evening and totaled 14 blocks.
SET BY SET
The Blazers began the match with an early 25-15 win, starting with a dominant 7-0 run to put the Green and Gold in front of the Cougars. Mia Reese totaled four kills with the score at 13-7, adding another after an attack error to extend the lead to 15-9. With a ten-point lead after a series of runs from the Blazers, UAB added one more set of kills to close out the first set.
SIUE jumped out to a lead in set two, putting up six points to UAB's one. The Blazers took advantage of early attack errors, but would be unsuccessful in regaining the lead. The Cougars put up a 7-3 run to jump out 16-8, and continued to hold the Blazers to only seven more points before collecting set two, 25-15.
Set three mirrored set two with SIUE beginning the match with an 8-1 run. The Blazers found a spark with an 8-2 run, getting within a point of the Cougars. SIUE maintained their distance, but Reese and Middle Blocker Chloe Rodriguez kept the set in close quarters. With the score jumping to 22-19, UAB found life to tie the score after a three point run. The Blazers tied two more times before the Cougars took the 2-1 match lead.
UAB continued their momentum from the previous set to start out with a 5-2 lead. A series of attack errors from the Cougars put the Blazers closer to the twenty-point mark, while the defensive efforts held SIUE to 14. The Green and Gold would give up six points, putting their opponents within one point before two kills from Reese were enough to tie the match at two apiece.
In the final set, it would be all Blazers. Early errors from SIUE and blocks from the Blazers put UAB up 10-4. The Green and Gold then put up another set of back-to-back kills from Reese partnered with blocks from Jay Collins and Kelsey Smith to increase the lead to 13-7. The final point came from a service ace from Delaney Bowser, giving UAB the 15-7 win.
IN THE BOX
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Three Blazers finished with double-digit kills, with Mia Reese leading the way with 20.
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Kelsey Smith finished with her third double-double of the season, racking up a total of 15 kills and 13 digs
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Chloe Rodrigues totaled ten kills with a hitting percentage of .400
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UAB outhit SIUE .253 to .145. In the final set the Blazers only tallied one attack error to the Cougars five.
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UAB and SIUE were neck-and-neck defensively, with UAB finishing with 74 digs to the Cougars' 72.
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Anna Burkhardt finished the night with 26 digs, the match leader in the statistical category.
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UP NEXT
UAB returns home for the Blazer Classic Sept. 8-18 in Bartow Arena, hosting Tarleton State, Texas A&M Commerce and Alabama.
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