The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Rice
UAB Drops Road Match with Rice
10/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON, Texas – The UAB volleyball team dropped its second match of the weekend against Rice in straight sets (17-25, 20-25, 21-25) at Tudor Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon.
Haley Jared and Erika Zembyla shared team-high honors with nine kills each while Victoria Young struck eight. Kenley Adams led the team with a .278 attack percentage and put down six kills of her own.
Amber Treace controlled the offense with 31 assists while Emily Martinez had a match-high 15 digs. Petra Silic contributed two blocks while the team tallied five as a whole.
UAB kept it close in the first set until a midway six-point swing gave Rice a 16-11 lead. The Blazers struggled to string together consecutive points and the Owls went on to claim the 25-17 win.
The Blazers jumped to an early 7-3 lead in the second set but the Owls countered and came back to tie the score 9-9. The score continued to flip-flop back-and-forth and the two teams were tied as late as 17-17 but Rice took control and clinched the 25-20 victory.
After the break, UAB jumped to another early lead but Rice fought back and tied it at five. The Owls pulled ahead and seemed to be in control with a 20-14 lead but the Blazers fought back valiantly and scored five unanswered points to come within two of the Owls, 23-21. The next two points were in Rice’s favor as the Owls won the set 25-21.
Leah Mikesky and Chelsey Harris led the match with 11 kills each and McKay Kyle had a match-high .467 attack percentage with 10 kills. Portia Okafor dominated the net with six total blocks and Lee Ann Cunningham tallied 14 digs for the Owls.
The Blazers are back in action on Wednesday, Oct. 19 as they travel to Montgomery, Ala., to face in-state rival Alabama State at 7 p.m.
For more information on UAB Athletics, visit UABsports.com. Fans can find UAB volleyball on Twitter and Instagram at @UAB_VB or on Facebook at facebook.com/UABVolleyball.
