The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Volleyball Concludes C-USA Road Play At UTSA, Middle Tennessee
11/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
UAB (6-21, 3-9 C-USA) at UTSA (16-7, 12-0 C-USA)
Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. CT
San Antonio, Texas
Coverage: Live Stats | Watch | Listen
UAB (6-21, 3-9 C-USA) at Middle Tennessee (7-19, 3-9 C-USA)
Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. CT
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Coverage: Live Stats | Watch
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB volleyball team will travel to UTSA and Middle Tennessee this weekend its final Conference USA road matches of the season. The Blazers are facing the Roadrunners and Blue Raiders for the second time this year.
UAB (6-21, 3-9 C-USA) most recently fell to Western Kentucky, 3-1, and North Texas, 3-0 last weekend. Senior Leslie Ekpe recorded a career-high 11 kills in the match against North Texas. Fellow senior Sara Rishell led the Blazers with a .700 hitting percentage, recording seven kills and no errors in 10 attempts.
UAB Among Conference USA
The Blazers have two players ranked among the top 10 individually in conference statistics. Rishell ranks 10th in the league, boasting a .328 attack percentage through 27 matches this season. She has reached a career-high .700 twice in 2014, including the most recent match against North Texas. Sophomore Amber Treace moved into the top 10 in assists, dishing out 8.38 assists per set.
Series History
Friday’s match will be the second meeting in 2014 for UAB and UTSA. The teams previously met in Bartow Arena on Oct. 12, when the Roadrunners topped the Blazers, 3-0. UTSA now holds a 4-1 advantage over UAB in the series.
It will also be the second time UAB and Middle Tennessee have played this season. The Blazers swept the Blue Raiders on Oct. 14 at home in the first meeting. UAB had one of its best hitting performances of the season with 49 kills on a .381 attack percentage. In the series, UAB extended its lead to 13-5 overall.
Scouting the Opposition
UTSA (16-7, 12-0 C-USA) is the only team that remains undefeated in conference play. The Roadrunners look to extend their win streak, having won 13-straight matches heading into Friday’s contest. UTSA’s Kylie Schott leads the league with a .392 hitting percentage and two players rank in the top four in kills. Annie Kunes tops the conference in digs, averaging 4.45 per set.
Middle Tennessee (7-19, 3-9 C-USA) is on a four-match losing skid entering this weekend. The Blue Raiders most recently fell to Marshall, 3-1, and dropped a close five-set match to North Texas. Chelsea Ross leads Middle Tennessee with an average of 4.25 kills per set, which ranks second in C-USA.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account: @UABathletics. For volleyball news, follow @UAB_VB.
