The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
0-2,0-0AAC
Austin Peay State University
2-1,0-0ASUN
Volleyball Drops Fifth-Set Match Against Austin Peay
8/26/2023 9:56:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BIRMINGHAM – UAB Volleyball completed day two of the UAB Invitational, taking on the Austin Peay Governors. The Blazers, who went to a second consecutive fifth set match, fell to APSU two sets to three.
The Green and Gold dropped to 0-2 after their second match of the tournament.
SET BY SET
The Blazers and Governors remained in close quarters before Austin Peay found an opening to extend the lead to three, with eight points to UAB's five. The Blazers responded to tie and eclipse APSU before the first set saw eight lead changes. A 4-0 run, followed by a 2-1 run put the Blazers at 20-17. Another run, followed by a pair of kills from Kelsey Smith, gave UAB the first set.
Sets two and three went to Austin Peay, with the score tying fifteen times between the two sets. The Blazers remained close, taking the lead nine times in the second, including two 4-0 runs to put UAB up 13-11 and 17-12. APSU responded with their own run to tie and eventually maintain the lead. Set three saw a similar result, but the Blazers and Governors lead changed three times. A kill from Chloe Rodriguez put the score at 24 apiece before APSU took the 2-1 lead of the match.
UAB shifted the momentum in their favor with an early 3-1 lead, maintaining it before Austin Peay capitalized off a kill and attack error to tie. The score remained within a point of each other before blasting past Austin Peay with a series of kills from Mia Reese and taking advantage of attack errors. Another series of kills from Smith and Asli Celikkol saw the Blazers eventually find their way to tie the match at two sets.
In the deciding set, the Green and Gold replicated the 3-1 lead in the fourth, but Austin Peay found an opening with a 5-0 scoring rally. The Blazers did not regain the lead but were within a point of Austin Peay after an attack error from the Governors and a kill from Reese. A series of errors from the Green and Gold gave the fifth and final set to Austin Peay.
IN THE BOX
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The Blazers finished the day with 66 kills to Austin Peay's 49. However the Blazers had 31 attack errors to APSU's 22.
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Asli Celikkol and Kelsey Smith both had double-digit matches, with Celikkol totaling 21 kills and 14 digs and Smith totaling 16 kills and 14 digs.
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Mia Reese also finished with a season high of 17 kills.
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Lidya Canturk completed the day with 50 digs.
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The Blazers totalled 11 service aces, with Smith leading the squad with five.
UP NEXT
The Blazers close out the final day of the UAB Invitational, taking on the Florida A&M Rattlers on Sunday, August 26.
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