The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Shields And Gunal Receive All-C-USA Honors
11/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 20, 2003
CHICAGO - Conference USA announced its 2003 volleyball awards winners Wednesday, prior to the start of the 2003 C-USA Tournament in New Orleans. Senior outside hitter Martina Shields was named Third-Team All-Conference USA and setter Bilun Gunal was named to C-USA's All-Freshman Team in a vote by the league's 14 head coaches.
Shields, a Preseason All-C-USA selection, started 28 matches for the Blazers this season and saw action in 30 contests. Against C-USA opponents, the Scarborough, Ontario, Canada placed fifth in the league in kills (219) and eighth in kills per game (4.29). Shields currently leads the team in points (445.5), kills (411), kills per game (3.77) and digs per game (2.83), and is tied for the team lead in double-doubles with 14. She currently ranks fourth all-time at UAB in kill attempts (3,656), seventh in kills (1,394) and ninth in digs (1,063). Shields has recorded double digits in both kills and points in 23 of the 30 matches she has competed in.
Gunal, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, started 15 matches for the Blazers and saw action in 24 contests. Against C-USA opponents, Gunal placed eighth in the league in assists per game (11.54) and 10th in assists (450). Overall, Gunal currently ranks eighth in C-USA in assists per game (10.49) and 10th in assists (745). Gunal leads the Blazers in both categories and has recorded five double-doubles this season. She recorded a career-high 63 assists in UAB's 3-1 win over Houston Oct. 24 at Bartow Arena.
UAB garnered a No. 7 seed and will square off against 10th-seeded TCU (19-12, 5-8 Conference USA) Friday at 1 p.m. in first round action of the Conference USA Volleyball Tournament, which will be held Friday-Monday at Fogelman Arena. The Blazers will look to avenge a 3-2 loss suffered to the Horned Frogs Oct. 25 in regular-season action at Bartow Arena. The winner of the UAB-TCU match will face No. 2-seed and 18th-ranked Louisville (20-4, 12-1 C-USA) at 1 p.m. Saturday. UAB (14-17, 6-7 C-USA) has enjoyed its most wins since the 1997 season with 14 and the Blazers' six league victories are the most since joining C-USA in 1995, and the most overall conference wins since 1993.
Semifinal rounds will be played at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday. The C-USA Television Network will carry the tournament final Monday at 7 p.m. Don Russell will announce the play-by-play with Amy Prichard providing the commentary. College Sports Television, Comcast Charter Sports Southeast, New Orleans' Cox Sports Television, Charlotte Cable Television and WXIV-TV (Greensboro, N.C.) will carry the event live. Fox Sports Net Chicago and Fox Sports Net Florida will air the event tape delayed. Please check your local listings for times.
For live play-by-play, statistics, photos, a complete tournament bracket and recaps of each 2003 Conference USA Tournament match, go to the league's official website, www.conferenceusa.com. Live stats will also be available on the UAB Athletic Department's official website, www.uabsports.com.
