Blazer Volleyball Falls In Three To Visiting Middle Tennessee
UAB now looking ahead to pair of weekend conference matches
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Heather Thomas managed 18 digs in just three sets Tuesday night, but the UAB volleyball team lost, 3-0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-15), to Middle Tennessee at Bartow Arena.
Middle Tennessee (7-6) turned in an impressive offensive performance, finishing with a .279 attack percentage, while UAB (7-8) hit just .050 for the match.
Ashley Mead led the Blue Raiders’ attack with a match-high 13 kills, while Izabela Kozon added nine. For UAB, Sam Serley led the way offensively with eight kills, and Jordan McDonald added seven.
UAB did not get off to a poor start, but the tide seemed to turn at the end of the first set when the Blazers lost a late four-point lead to allow Middle Tennessee to take the opening frame.
A kill from Patty Paniagua put the Blazers ahead, 22-18, in that first set, but a UAB service error along with a pair of attack errors and a kill from Kozon drew Middle Tennessee even at 22-22. The teams traded points to 24-24, and then another UAB service error and attack error finished off the set.
From there, Middle Tennessee controlled things the rest of the way, opening up final margins of eight and 10 points in the second and third sets. The Blue Raiders continued to pick up the pace offensively, hitting .297 in the second frame and .343 in the third.
“Middle Tennessee is a very good, very athletic team, and we did not match their performance tonight,” UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. “We have a lot of things we need to improve, and it doesn’t get any easier with Houston and Rice coming here this weekend.”
Middle Tennessee setter Leslie Clark ran the Blue Raider offense with 33 assists, and Alison Woods had 22 assists for UAB. Serley tied for match-high honors with five blocks, but the Blazers were out-blocked, 9-6, on the night.
UAB, which opened Conference USA action last Thursday with a win at Memphis, gets into the heart of league play this weekend when the Blazers play host to Houston on Friday at 6 p.m. and Rice on Sunday at 1 p.m.
UAB now looking ahead to pair of weekend conference matches
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Heather Thomas managed 18 digs in just three sets Tuesday night, but the UAB volleyball team lost, 3-0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-15), to Middle Tennessee at Bartow Arena.
Middle Tennessee (7-6) turned in an impressive offensive performance, finishing with a .279 attack percentage, while UAB (7-8) hit just .050 for the match.
Ashley Mead led the Blue Raiders’ attack with a match-high 13 kills, while Izabela Kozon added nine. For UAB, Sam Serley led the way offensively with eight kills, and Jordan McDonald added seven.
UAB did not get off to a poor start, but the tide seemed to turn at the end of the first set when the Blazers lost a late four-point lead to allow Middle Tennessee to take the opening frame.
A kill from Patty Paniagua put the Blazers ahead, 22-18, in that first set, but a UAB service error along with a pair of attack errors and a kill from Kozon drew Middle Tennessee even at 22-22. The teams traded points to 24-24, and then another UAB service error and attack error finished off the set.
From there, Middle Tennessee controlled things the rest of the way, opening up final margins of eight and 10 points in the second and third sets. The Blue Raiders continued to pick up the pace offensively, hitting .297 in the second frame and .343 in the third.
“Middle Tennessee is a very good, very athletic team, and we did not match their performance tonight,” UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. “We have a lot of things we need to improve, and it doesn’t get any easier with Houston and Rice coming here this weekend.”
Middle Tennessee setter Leslie Clark ran the Blue Raider offense with 33 assists, and Alison Woods had 22 assists for UAB. Serley tied for match-high honors with five blocks, but the Blazers were out-blocked, 9-6, on the night.
UAB, which opened Conference USA action last Thursday with a win at Memphis, gets into the heart of league play this weekend when the Blazers play host to Houston on Friday at 6 p.m. and Rice on Sunday at 1 p.m.
