The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Volleyball Faces Road Challenges at Marshall, Louisiana Tech
10/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
UAB (7-13, 0-6 C-USA) at Marshall (11-7, 2-3 C-USA)
Friday, October 9 - 10:30 a.m. CT | Huntington, W. Va. - Cam Henderson Center
Game Coverage: Twitter | | Live Streaming
UAB (7-13, 0-6 C-USA) at Louisiana Tech (6-11, 0-4 C-USA)
Sunday, October 11 - 1 p.m. CT | Ruston, La. - Thomas Assembly Center
Game Coverage: Twitter | | Live Streaming
Match Notes: UABBIRMINGHAM, Ala. - For the first time in eight matches, the UAB volleyball team will venture from Bartow Arena for road tests at Marshall and Louisiana Tech over the weekend.
UAB opens weekend play at Marshall on Friday morning. First serve at the Cam Henderson Center is set for 10:30 a.m. CT.
The Blazers will travel to the Thomas Assembly Center to face the Lady Techsters in Ruston on Sunday. First serve at Louisiana Tech is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.
Live stats and streaming will be available for both matches and may accessed in the links above. In-match updates will also be provided on the UAB volleyball Twitter page.
UAB Notes
The Freshman Offensive
All seven of UAB's freshman class has seen action in 2015 and have played vital roles in the UAB attack. Led by Jillian Tinglin's 102 kills, Blazer freshmen have tallied one-third of the Blazers' kills with 285 total. Freshmen Blazers have also contributed to 131 of the 150 total UAB blocks. Middle blocker Zahria Ri'chard leads UAB in two statistical categories with a team-high .284 attack percentage and 65 blocks.
Scouting the Opponents
Marshall
The Thundering Herd enter Friday's contest with an 11-7 record overall with a 2-3 mark in Conference USA action. Marshall currently sits eighth in the conference standings. Marshall kicked off the season with four-straight wins before hitting the heart of tournament play. The Herd has picked up wins over Charlotte, 3-2, and Louisiana Tech, 3-0, to highlight conference play. Marshall is coming off back-to-back losses to FIU, 3-1, and FAU, 3-0. The Herd's only other loss in conference play came at the hands of C-USA leader Western Kentucky, 3-1.
Cassie Weaver serves as Marshall's offensive leader with 243 kills and a 3.47 per set average. Weaver ranks ninth in the conference in kills and 10th in points. Weaver has picked up 20 assists and six service aces for the Herd.
Defensively Weaver has totaled 208 digs and 13 total blocks. Allie Kellerman leads the defense and all of C-USA with 342 digs to average 4.75 per set. Kayla Simmons sets up the Marshall offense with 686 assists to average 9.72 per set, fifth best in C-USA.
Louisiana Tech
The Lady Techsters hold a 6-11 record overall and are winless in C-USA action at a 0-4 mark. Louisiana Tech is currently riding a six-match losing streak, including dropping four conference matches to Southern Miss, 3-1, Western Kentucky, 3-0, Marshall, 3-0, and Middle Tennessee, 3-1. The Lady Techsters will host North Texas on Friday evening before UAB rolls into Ruston.
Marta Monne tops the Louisiana Tech offense with a .219 clip and 142 total kills to average 2.96 per set. Monne has garnered 100 digs this season while totaling 16 blocks, 11
Andrea Morales sets up the Lady Techster attack with 332 assists for a 5.93 per set average. With 254 digs, Alejandra Aviles paces the Louisiana Tech defense with her 4.16 digs per set average, which is good for eighth best in the conference.
Series History
UAB holds the all-time series advantage over Marshall, 11-8. The two squads met on the court twice in 2014 splitting the series, 1-1.
In the most recent meeting, despite out-hitting the Thundering Herd .215 to .161, UAB fell to Marshall in four sets, 3-1. Then sophomore Gabby Deshotel recorded 11 kills while then freshman Gabbi Moreno dished out 41 assists. Moreno also had seven digs and two kills against Marshall.
The Blazers have never dropped a set in the short series history with Louisiana Tech and sit 2-0 against the Lady Techsters. In the two previous meetings, UAB swept the Lady Techsters in three sets.
Deshotel notched 10 kills in the Blazers' previous meeting with Louisiana Tech while Moreno set up the offense with 38 helpers and guided UAB for what was then a season-high hitting percentage of .398
For more information on the UAB volleyball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_VB). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
