The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Marshall
UAB Makes It 16 Straight With Win Over Marshall
11/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 2, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Ivana Bozic posted her 14th double-double of the season Sunday with 21 kills and 17 digs as the UAB volleyball team fought past Marshall, 3-1 (28-26, 25-15, 22-25, 25-23).
The Blazers extended their school-record winning streak to 16 matches while improving to 22-3 overall and 12-1 in Conference USA action. Marshall, with the loss, dropped to 10-13 overall (3-10 C-USA).
UAB earned a sweep of the season series with Marshall, having defeated the Thundering Herd, 3-2, on the road back on Sept. 28.
Like the previous meeting, Sunday's contest was close. Three of the four sets were decided by three points or less.
In a tight opening set, UAB fought off two set points to tie the score at 25-25. A Marshall attack error then gave the Blazers a set point of their own at 26-25, but the Thundering Herd managed to fight it off. They could not, however, fight off a second set point. An Andrea Lalic kill put UAB on top, 27-26, and a kill from Bozic sealed the set one victory.
The Blazers then won the second set, 25-15, in the only one of the four decided by a lopsided margin. But with UAB on the brink of victory, Marshall stood its ground to pull out the third set, 25-22, and extend the match.
The fourth set proved to be another close one. Marshall trailed by as many as six points before rallying to knot the score at 22-22. But back-to-back kills by Casey Dent put the Blazers one point away from the match. Marshall managed one more point on an Emily Sullivan kill, but a Marshall attack error on the next point ended the contest.
Sullivan and Elizabeth Fleming led the Thundering Herd with 12 kills each. Marshall's Megan Carlson led all players with 27 digs, while Fleming also handed out 42 assists.
Lalic finished as the second UAB player in double-figure kills with 15. Setter Nevena Stefanov dished out 54 assists, the seventh time this season she has posted 50-plus assists. Aleksandra Vujovic and Heather Thomas joined Bozic in double-digit digs with 13 and 12, respectively.
Sunday's contest wrapped up a six-match homestand for UAB. The Blazers head back to the road next weekend for a pair of matches at Rice and Houston.
