UAB Falls on the Road at Louisiana Tech

Sunday, September 29

Ruston, LA

1 p.m.

UAB

8-6

Louisiana Tech

9-4

UAB

Louisiana Tech

UAB Falls on the Road at Louisiana Tech

9/29/2019 5:12:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats

RUSTON, La. – The UAB volleyball team lost a tight contest to Louisiana Tech on Sunday afternoon, falling 3-1 to the Lady Techsters on the road. The Blazers weren't outscored by more than five points in any set and cruised to a 25-17 win in the third set before ultimately dropping the match.

"We continue to make improvements in areas of our game, but we're still struggling to learn how to put a complete match together," said coach Amy Pauly. "We were much better offensively today than we were Friday night, and that was a positive. Overall, we as a group have to continue learning how to work as a unit and put together a match where we're successful on both sides of the ball."

Player Spotlight
No matter the outcome, redshirt junior Emma Mitchell continues to thrive for the Blazers. The Charlotte, N.C., native was the top attacker of the match with 17 kills, including a pair of aces, and added nine digs along with a block to help out defensively.

"Emma continues to be a leader for us both offensively and defensively. I that's because she's the most veteran player on the floor," said Pauly. "She has grown a lot since last year, and I know she hasn't even hit her ceiling yet."

Freshman setter Rachel Morse has also impressed as of late, showing her progress through the season as she led the match in both assists with 27 and digs with 16.

"Rachel continues to find her rhythm within the offense," said Pauly. "She's able to find her attackers better in out-of-system plays and set them up in a position to be successful."

How it Happened
The stat line showcased the narrow gap between the two teams as no major category was separated by more than three points. UAB outscored Louisiana Tech 66-65 overall, leading the Lady Techsters in kills (54-52) and digs (60-57).

The first set was defined by quick bursts by both sides as Louisiana Tech was able to jump ahead, 11-6. The Blazers would battle back to knot things up at 19 apiece, but another run sealed the first set for the Lady Techsters, 25-22.

Set two started off like déjà vu as Louisiana Tech again took an 11-6 advantage. UAB would draw within a point to trail just 18-17, but the Lady Techsters managed to pull away again for the 25-20 set win.

The Blazers found their rhythm in the third set, using a couple of four-point runs of their own to take a 13-9 lead. UAB didn't let up from there, allowing no less than a four-point score margin and taking the final four points as Mitchell sealed the 25-17 set win for the Blazers with an ace.

Louisiana Tech got back in rhythm in the fourth set, jumping ahead 11-6 once again and maintaining control up to a 23-14 lead. UAB made a final push in the latter stages of the set, taking six out of the final eight points to condense the Lady Techster lead, but Louisiana finished things off with a 25-20 set win and 3-1 match win.

Up Next
UAB will next come home to host its first conference match of the season as Middle Tennessee comes to Birmingham on Oct. 6 for a 1 p.m. matchup in Bartow Arena.

Volleyball season tickets are on sale by purchasing the 2019-20 Gold Card for $65. The Gold Card is an exclusive offer that grants you admission into all UAB volleyball, men's and women's soccer, women's basketball, baseball and softball events for the upcoming academic year. Contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 for more details.

For more information on the UAB volleyball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter or Instagram (@UAB_VB).