The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
-45,00 CUSA
Troy
4-5,0-0Sun Belt
UAB Volleyball Falls to Trojans in Five-Set Thriller
9/11/2022 9:23:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BIRMINGHAM – The UAB Volleyball Team (4-5, C-USA) fell to the Troy Trojans (4-5, 0-0 SunBelt) in a five-setter on Sunday in Bartow.
"Tonight just wasn't our night," said head Coach Betsy Freeburg "We won almost every statistical category and couldn't put those points together when it mattered most."
In the first set, the Blazer and Trojans went back and forth, with a total of six lead changes throughout this set alone. Troy had the upper hand before advancing to a 17-12 lead over UAB. The Trojans totaled 17 kills to the Blazers' 10, giving them a 25-18 win in set one.
The second set saw a collective effort from the Blazers offense, where UAB tied with the Trojans five times before gaining a three-point lead with a pair of kills from Fernanda Maida. The Blazers gained and contained that lead throughout the entirety of the second set, keeping the Trojans from cresting past the 20-point mark with a 25-19 win.
The following set saw another effort from the Blazers, with UAB advancing the score off a series of runs. The series mirrored the previous performance in the second set, with a 4-0 run putting UAB up 10-7. Troy trailed the Blazers throughout the third, being contained by a series of errors in the latter half of the set, winning with a score of 25-20.
The Blazers went on to advance to a 2-1 lead over Troy, however, the Trojans advanced to a 13-8 lead. UAB continued to trail before taking advantage of four errors on Troy's part, putting the Blazers within three. Troy continued to capitalize off runs, getting within set point before UAB responded, holding the Trojans at 24 for four possessions before an attack error tied the match at two apiece.
In the deciding set, the Trojans took an early 6-1 lead, forcing a Blazer timeout to reconvene and responding with a kill from Fernanda Maida. The score stayed within a four-point margin before UAB responded with a run to tie the set at 10 apiece. The score then tied two more times before Troy advanced the score to match point and finally ending the match with a kill. The Trojans took set five 15-13.
The Blazers outperformed the Trojans in nearly every statistical category save for aces. In the final set, UAB's hitting percentage stood at .333 to Troy's .286, however, the Trojans out-killed 12 to the Blazers' eight.
Stat leaders for the Blazers include Fernanda Maida with 22 kills, followed by Maia Rackel with 17. Rackel would tally a double-double in the evening. Alex Kells was just shy of a double-double with nine kills and 12 digs. Erin Powers would also lead the stat sheet in digs with 34, a career high.
UP NEXT
The Blazers travel to Kennesaw on Wednesday to take on the KSU Owls on Wednesday, Sept 14 at 6 p.m. CST/ 7 p.m. EST.
Purchase the 2022-23 Gold Card for $65 here. The 2022-23 Gold Card will get you access to all home events for Women's Soccer, Men's Soccer, Volleyball, Women's Basketball, Softball, and Baseball (Regions Field & Young Memorial). This card is not valid for Conference USA or NCAA Championship events.
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