The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Tulsa
Blazers Close Weekend With Three-Set Loss At Tulsa
10/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 10, 2010
TULSA, Okla. -- UAB played with first-place Tulsa for much of Sunday's volleyball match, but the Golden Hurricane managed to pull through with the big points when they needed them to defeat the Blazers 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-20).
UAB's Sam Serley turned in the most efficient offensive performance of any player Sunday with 10 kills and just two errors in 19 attempts (.421 attack percentage). The Blazers (4-14, 1-5 C-USA) were more balanced, but Tulsa (16-2, 7-0 C-USA) made up for it with Tyler Henderson's 20-kill effort.
Michelle Uzoh finished with nine kills for UAB, while Ally Slaughter and Jordan McDonald added seven each. No other Tulsa player managed more than six kills.
Blazer libero Heather Thomas turned in another 20-dig performance, tying Tulsa's Jessica Adams for match-high honors. Tulsa setter Jordan Clampitt posted 37 assists, and UAB's Alison Woods finished with 31.
UAB threatened to take the first set, opening up a 23-20 lead, but Tulsa rebounded with three straight points. A kill from Serley gave the Blazers a match point at 24-23, but Tulsa won four of the next five points to pull out the set.
In the second frame, the teams were tied as late as 19-19 before Tulsa pulled away down the stretch with six of the final eight points. The Golden Hurricane then controlled the third set to close out the match.
With her 20 digs, Thomas moved into ninth place on the UAB all-time list with 1,252 in her career. Only a junior, Thomas already owns the second-best single-season digs total in school history with 586 last year, and she is on pace to top that this season.
UAB returns home to continue conference play next weekend with matches against Rice and Houston. The Blazers open the weekend against Rice on Friday at 7 p.m. CT at Bartow Arena.
