The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Earn Spot In NCAA Field, Play Missouri State Friday
11/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 30, 2008
2008 NCAA Volleyball Championship Bracket
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB volleyball team has earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Volleyball Championship, as announced Sunday night on ESPNU.
UAB will travel to the NU Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb., for a first-round match against Missouri State, the champion of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Blazers and Bears will meet Friday at 4:30 p.m. CT.
The other first-round match in Lincoln features Liberty against host and No. 4 overall seed Nebraska. That contest will follow the UAB-Missouri State match Friday.
Saturday's second-round match will pit the winners of those two contests with a first serve slated for 5 p.m. CT.
"We're excited to go and compete," UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. "We're looking forward to the opportunity to play a great Missouri State team at one of the premier venues in the country in the Coliseum."
UAB finished the regular season Saturday with a win over Florida A&M, improving its overall record to 26-7. The Blazers finished 13-3 in Conference USA and advanced to the league tournament finals for the third consecutive year. During the middle of the season, the team posted a school-record 16-match winning streak.
UAB is one of three Conference USA teams to make the 64-team field, joining league champion Tulane, which earned an automatic bid, and Rice, which also received an at-large spot.
"I'm glad to see Conference USA is well-represented in the tournament," Messersmith said. "Our conference has been very strong all year, and I'm happy we've been rewarded with three spots."
UAB is returning to the NCAA Championship for the second time in three years. The program made its first ever appearance at the 2006 event with a trip to UCLA.
UAB and Missouri State will be meeting Friday for the first time in volleyball.
