The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
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Oakland
Volleyball Preview: Golden Grizzly Invitational
9/10/2026 2:21:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BIRMINGHAM – UAB heads back on the road for its third road trip of the 2026 season, traveling to Rochester, Michigan, for the Golden Grizzly Invitational hosted by Oakland University.
The Blazers will take on host Oakland at 9 a.m. CT on Friday before closing the day with a 4 p.m. tilt against Eastern Michigan. UAB wraps up the tournament with a 9:30 a.m. CT first serve against Montana on Saturday.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Golden Grizzly Invitational
Date: Sept. 11-12
Location: Rochester, Mich.
Venue: OU Credit Union O'rena
TUNE IN TO THE BLAZERS
UAB at Oakland
Friday, Sept. 11 (9 a.m. CT)
Live Stats
UAB vs. Eastern Michigan
Friday, Sept. 11 (4 p.m. CT)
Live Stats
UAB vs. Montana
Saturday, Sept. 12 (9:30 a.m. CT)
Live Stats
McCOLLUM HITS 1,000 ASSISTS, SMOCK EARNS CONFERENCE HONOR
The Blazers enter the weekend riding the momentum of a 3-1 victory over Rider on Saturday at the Lou Carnesecca Invitational.
Setter/opposite hitter Rachel McCollum reached a major career milestone in Saturday's victory over Rider, eclipsing 1,000 career assists. McCollum has provided a steady presence for the Blazers throughout the early portion of the season while contributing both offensively and defensively.
Sophomore middle blocker Addyson Smock was named to the American Conference Honorable Mention Team following her standout performance at the Lou Carnesecca Invitational. Smock led the conference with 15.0 total blocks across three matches, including a career-high 8.0 blocks in Friday's matchup against St. John's.
SERIES HISTORY
Friday's matchup against Oakland will mark the first meeting between the two programs. UAB and Eastern Michigan have met twice previously, with the Eagles holding a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series.
UAB and Montana have split the first two meetings in the all-time series, which dates back to 1986. The Blazers claimed the first matchup before Montana evened the series in the teams' most recent meeting.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland enters the weekend with a 2-4 record after dropping a pair of matches at the Popcorn Classic last weekend. The Golden Grizzlies opened the tournament with a 3-1 loss to Valparaiso before falling in straight sets to Cincinnati on Sunday.
Oakland ranks second in the Horizon League in both assists per set (12.14) and total attacks per set (37.05). Molly Reck leads the Golden Grizzlies offensively with 72 kills, while Delaney Stern directs the offense with 189 assists. Defensively, Kalli Cook is nearing the 100-dig mark on the young season, entering the weekend with a team-high 94 digs.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Eastern Michigan enters the Golden Grizzly Invitational with a 5-2 record to begin the season. The Eagles swept through the USI Invitational on opening weekend before splitting a pair of matches at the Chick-fil-A Robinson Classic in Pittsburgh last weekend. EMU swept Robert Morris and Elon while dropping matches to Duquesne and Illinois State.
Eastern Michigan currently leads the MAC in service aces per set with 2.19, a mark that ranks 22nd nationally. Azra Eric leads the conference with 16 service aces and 39.0 total blocks, with her blocking total ranking third nationally.
SCOUTING THE GRIZZLIES
Montana enters the weekend with a 3-2 overall record after going 2-1 at the ASICS Invitational in Corvallis last weekend. The Grizzlies picked up wins over Seattle and Cal Baptist while falling to host Oregon State.
Head coach Allison Lawrence's squad currently leads the Big Sky in service aces per set with 1.89, while ranking among the conference's top five in attacks per set (33.37) and total service aces (36). Delaney Russell paces the Montana offense with 57 kills, while Gracie Cagle leads the way with 151 assists (7.95 per set) and 10 service aces. Sydney Pierce anchors the defensive effort with 11.0 total blocks on the season.
2026-27 GOLD CARD
The 2026-27 Gold Card is on sale. The 2026-27 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 American Conference or NCAA Championship events.
SPORT GIFT ACCOUNTS
As UAB student-athletes begin a new year of competition, support through sport-specific gift accounts continues to play a vital role in the department's mission to Win Championships, Graduate with Honors and Make a Difference. Contributions provide essential resources in key areas such as recruiting, nutrition, student-athlete development and technology, helping equip Blazer teams for success in the American Conference. To learn more about supporting your favorite program, click here or contact Blazer Boosters to help fuel the continued success of UAB Athletics.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
For more information on the UAB volleyball team, follow @UAB_VB on X and Instagram.
