The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
SMU
Blazers Drop 3-0 Decision Friday Night At SMU
10/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 16, 2009
DALLAS, Texas -- The UAB volleyball team opened its Conference USA weekend Friday night with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-14) loss on the road at SMU.
With the loss, UAB falls to 11-11 (4-3 C-USA) on the season, while SMU improves to 14-7 (4-3 C-USA). The Blazers now head on to Tulsa, Okla., where they will meet the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
Andrea Lalic led the UAB attack offensively on Friday with eight kills, while Savannah Pegg posted seven, and Sam Serley and Jordan McDonald each added five. SMU's Dana Powell led all players in the match with 10 kills.
In the opening set, UAB overcame an early five-point deficit to knot the score at 10-10. From that point, neither team was able to build a lead of larger than two points. Still tied at 23-23, SMU recorded back-to-back tallies on a block from Kendra Kahanek and Jessica Oliver and a kill from Kathryn Wilkerson to close the frame.
The second set was back-and-forth, as well, until SMU broke a 19-19 tie with four consecutive points. UAB closed the gap back to two at 24-22, but a kill by Oliver on the Mustangs' fourth set point sent SMU to the locker room with a two-set lead.
Out of the intermission, SMU put together its best set of the night. The Mustangs hit .302 for the third frame and jumped out to a 10-2 lead. SMU extended that margin to as many as 13 points at 22-9 and finished off an 11-point third-set win.
Heather Thomas led three Blazers in double-figure digs with 20, but SMU out-dug UAB, 85-67, over the three sets. Wilkerson led all players with 22 digs as one of five Mustangs to reach double-digits in that category.
SMU setter Kelli Becerra finished with 38 assists in the match, while UAB setter Alison Woods tallied 28.
