Crimson Tide wraps up first half of SEC play this weekend against Tennessee and No. 8 Kentucky
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama volleyball team (6-12, 4-4 SEC) returns to the friendly confines of the CAVE to host Tennessee (12-5, 5-2 SEC) Friday night at 6:00 p.m. (CST) followed by No. 8 Kentucky on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (CST). Fans are strongly encouraged to wear pink to the match on Friday, as part of the University of Alabama Athletic Department’s “Power of Pink” initiative.
“This weekend marks the end of the first round of SEC play,” said head coach Judy Green. “We are going to face two very good volleyball teams, and I hope our team is prepared for the challenge. We’ve got to find a way to win. We’ve been working really hard in practice, and we’ve corrected things that didn’t go so well last weekend. It’s time to go out there, throw the ball up, and play volleyball.”
Last weekend the Crimson Tide suffered two defeats in a pair of close five-setters on the road to Arkansas and Mississippi. In Alabama’s loss to Arkansas, junior Alyssa Meuth led the team with 16 kills, while junior Kayla Schmidt dished out a career-high 39 assists in addition to 16 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. In Sunday’s match in Oxford, Meuth led a trio of Tide attackers with 17 kills followed by senior Brooks Webster with 13 and sophomore Ashley Frazier with 11. Freshman Kelsey Anderson notched a career-best 24 digs in the match.
The Lady Vols roll into Tuscaloosa after sweeping both Georgia and Auburn at home last weekend. The two victories advanced Tennessee to 12-5, with a 5-2 mark in SEC play on the season. The Lady Vols are led by junior outside hitter Nikki Fowler with a team high 3.18 kills per set, along with an impressive 3.06 digs per set which ranks second on the team.
Friday night’s match against the Lady Vols serves as the kickoff to this year’s “Power for Pink” initiative. The initiative was started by Alabama head gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson and has raised over $750,000 for the DCH Breast Cancer Fund, all the while increasing awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Since Alabama’s “Power of Pink” started in 2004, the idea has spread nationally throughout collegiate athletics, Major League Baseball and this year into the National Football League. The soccer team will hold its “Power for Pink” game this Sunday against Vanderbilt, and the Tide swimming and diving team will hold a “Power for Pink” meet Nov. 6 when it takes on LSU.
In addition to being the “Power of Pink” match, Friday night will also serve as Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night where all University of Alabama faculty and staff members will receive free admission by showing the ACTion card. Regular admission for adults is $3 and free for students and children 12 and under.
Fans unable to attend the match in person can follow the action with free live scoring, radio and live video of the match, all of which are available on RollTide.com.
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