The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
2-11,0-1AAC
Rice University
7-4,1-0AAC
UAB Volleyball Drops AAC Opener Against Rice
9/20/2023 10:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON – UAB Volleyball concludes their mid-week matchup against AAC foe Rice, where the Blazers fell 0-3 in Tudor Fieldhouse. The Green and Gold sit at a record of 2-11 overall and 0-1 in the American.
IN THE SETS
The match began with UAB putting on an offensive effort from the start of set one. The Blazers jumped out to tie the first set at five, followed by six before holding Rice to seven points while UAB pushed to ten. The Owls would continue to trail as the Blazers jumped out to a 15-13 lead. Both teams went back and forth, tacking up points before the Green and Gold were first to reach the 20-point mark. Rice then rallied back to tie and eventually took the lead and set one.
Set two saw the Blazers jumped to a one-point lead after two early errors. UAB then gave up three kills, giving Rice the 8-6 lead before another 4-1 run gave them a 12-7 lead. The Blazers were held to nine points for the duration of the match before an attack error halted the scoring run. The Owls secured set two 25-12, with the Blazers hitting .088 to Rice's .387.
The final set saw a close-quarters matchup between UAB and Rice, with UAB trailing 6-8 after a kill from Mia Reese kept the Blazers within two. With a 4-2 scoring run from the Owls, the Green and Gold trailed by four before a setter's dump from Lidya Canturk and a kill from Asli Celikkol put the team within a point. The Blazers maintained the one-point scoring margin before Rice went on a 3-0 run. With the Owls being first to reach 20 points, they went on a run to get within a match point.
UAB held Rice to 24 points after Celikkol went on an offensive and defensive run, but it would not prove enough after the Owls took the match 25-20 with a kill.
IN THE BOX
- Three Blazers finished with eight kills: Chloe Rodriguez, Asli Celikkol, and Mia Reese.
- Of the three, Rodriguez finished with the highest hitting percentage with .375.
- The Blazers held the Owls to nine kills in set one, with UAB hitting .125 to Rice's .121, but the errors were the determining factor, with ten for the Green and Gold.
- On the defensive, Celikkol led in total blocks with three. Kelsey Smith finished with eleven digs, and Anna Burkhardt with ten.
UP NEXT
UAB returns to Bartow Arena to take on the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday and Sunday, September 23 and 24.
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