The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Marshall
Blazers Fall Friday at Marshall, 3-0
11/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 6, 2009
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. -- Despite Jordan McDonald's fifth consecutive double-double, the UAB volleyball team lost, 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-18), Friday night to Marshall in Conference USA action at the Cam Henderson Center.
McDonald, a product of the Birmingham area's Vestavia Hills High School, posted 10 kills and 11 digs, but she finished as the only Blazer in double-digit kills compared to three for the Thundering Herd. Michelle Uzoh had nine kills for UAB, and Andrea Lalic finished with eight.
With the loss, UAB dropped to 14-15 overall (6-7 C-USA), while Marshall improved to 20-7 (8-5 C-USA). Both teams have already locked up spots in the C-USA tournament. The Blazers continue their weekend road trip Sunday with a 1 p.m. ET (Noon CT) match at East Carolina.
Marshall's Elizabeth Herman and Emily Sullivan led all players in Friday's match with 16 kills, and teammate Kristin Marcum added 11 as the trio combined for 43 of Marshall's 50 kills. Setter Elizabeth Fleming ran the Thundering Herd attack with 45 assists in the three-set match.
UAB turned in its second-best hitting performance as a team this season with a .297 attack percentage for the night, but Marshall was slightly better at .321.
The first two sets couldn't get much closer, but Marshall managed to score the big points when it need them. The opening frame was tied at 22-22 before the Thundering Herd notched the final three points on a Kelley Bugler kill, a Ryanne Milligan service ace and a UAB attack error. The second set was tied at 23-23 before a pair of Marcum kills gave Marshall a two-set lead.
In the third set, UAB struggled down the stretch as Marshall put the match away. After playing to a 16-16 tie, the Thundering Herd tallied nine of the set's final 11 points.
One positive for UAB was its blocking performance, which has been a strength throughout the season. The Blazers out-blocked Marshall, 7-0, for the match. Setter Alison Woods, who had 30 assists in the contest, led UAB with four total blocks, and Uzoh added three.
Marshall's win evened the all-time series between the teams at 5-5 as the Thundering Herd snapped a three-match UAB winning streak in the series. The teams are scheduled to meet again in six days when they match up in Birmingham on Nov. 12.
