The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Friday, September 11
Rochester, Mich.
9 a.m.
UAB
4-3,0-0American
3
at
1
Oakland
2-5,0-0Horizon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAB | 25 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Oakland | 17 | 25 | 20 | 21 | 1 |
Blazers Sweep Friday with Pair of 3-1 Victories
9/11/2026 7:18:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
ROCHESTER, Mich. – The UAB volleyball team picked up a pair of victories on Friday at the Golden Grizzly Invitational, defeating host Oakland 3-1 before closing the day with a 3-1 win over Eastern Michigan.
MATCH ONE: UAB 3, OAKLAND 1
The Blazers grabbed momentum early as consecutive service aces from Addyson Smock put UAB ahead 8-4. Kills from Kennedy Vaughn, Makayla Meister and Mia Reese helped extend the advantage to 12-6 before another Reese kill capped a 5-0 run to give the Blazers a 17-7 lead. UAB went on to take the opening set, 25-17.
The second set featured a back-and-forth start before Oakland used a 7-1 run to build a 16-11 advantage. UAB battled back to cut the deficit to two at 21-19 following a Vaughn kill, but the Golden Grizzlies closed the set strong to even the match at one set apiece.
UAB regained control in the third set, with a block from Meister and Sydney Austin pushing the Blazers ahead 13-5. The Blazers held off a late Oakland push to take the set 25-20 and move within one set of the victory.
Oakland took an early lead in the fourth set, but UAB quickly responded with an 8-1 run to take a 12-8 advantage. The Golden Grizzlies pulled within one on multiple occasions, but a Meister kill and a service ace from Annastiina Tarkkanen closed the set, 25-21, and secured the 3-1 victory.
Vaughn and Meister paced the Blazers with 14 kills apiece, while Rachel McCollum led UAB with 25 assists. Austin turned in a career performance at the net, recording nine blocks, including two solo blocks.
As a team, UAB recorded 18.0 total blocks, its highest single-match total since Oct. 20, 2023.
MATCH TWO: UAB 3, EASTERN MICHIGAN 1
The Blazers carried their momentum into the second match of the day, jumping out to a 7-2 lead. Eastern Michigan battled back throughout the opening set, cutting the deficit to one on several occasions, but UAB never relinquished the advantage. Kills from Vaughn and Tarkkanen helped the Blazers close out the set, 25-21.
The second set was tightly contested early, with the teams even at 10 following an Eastern Michigan block. The Eagles then used a mid-set run to take a 19-13 lead before closing out the frame, 25-16, to even the match.
UAB responded in the third set with an early 4-0 run. Kills from Smock and McCollum helped the Blazers build their largest lead of the set at 16-10. Eastern Michigan fought back to pull within one at 20-19, but UAB answered by scoring five of the final six points to take the set 25-20 and regain the match lead.
The Eagles opened the fourth set with five straight points, but the Blazers steadily chipped away at the deficit before flipping the script with an 8-0 run that put UAB ahead 14-11. The Blazers continued to build their advantage down the stretch and closed out the set with the final three points, capped by a kill from Reese, to secure the 3-1 victory.
Vaughn led all Blazers with 17 kills, while Tarkkanen posted a team-best 19 assists. Delaney Bowser and Reese each recorded 14 digs.
UAB concludes play at the Golden Grizzly Invitational on Saturday against Montana at 9:30 a.m. CT.
2026-27 GOLD CARD
The 2026-27 Gold Card is on sale. The 2026-27 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 American Conference or NCAA Championship events.
SPORT GIFT ACCOUNTS
As UAB student-athletes begin a new year of competition, support through sport-specific gift accounts continues to play a vital role in the department's mission to Win Championships, Graduate with Honors and Make a Difference. Contributions provide essential resources in key areas such as recruiting, nutrition, student-athlete development and technology, helping equip Blazer teams for success in the American Conference. To learn more about supporting your favorite program, click here or contact Blazer Boosters to help fuel the continued success of UAB Athletics.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
For more information on the UAB volleyball team, follow @UAB_VB on X and Instagram.
MATCH ONE: UAB 3, OAKLAND 1
The Blazers grabbed momentum early as consecutive service aces from Addyson Smock put UAB ahead 8-4. Kills from Kennedy Vaughn, Makayla Meister and Mia Reese helped extend the advantage to 12-6 before another Reese kill capped a 5-0 run to give the Blazers a 17-7 lead. UAB went on to take the opening set, 25-17.
The second set featured a back-and-forth start before Oakland used a 7-1 run to build a 16-11 advantage. UAB battled back to cut the deficit to two at 21-19 following a Vaughn kill, but the Golden Grizzlies closed the set strong to even the match at one set apiece.
UAB regained control in the third set, with a block from Meister and Sydney Austin pushing the Blazers ahead 13-5. The Blazers held off a late Oakland push to take the set 25-20 and move within one set of the victory.
Oakland took an early lead in the fourth set, but UAB quickly responded with an 8-1 run to take a 12-8 advantage. The Golden Grizzlies pulled within one on multiple occasions, but a Meister kill and a service ace from Annastiina Tarkkanen closed the set, 25-21, and secured the 3-1 victory.
Vaughn and Meister paced the Blazers with 14 kills apiece, while Rachel McCollum led UAB with 25 assists. Austin turned in a career performance at the net, recording nine blocks, including two solo blocks.
As a team, UAB recorded 18.0 total blocks, its highest single-match total since Oct. 20, 2023.
MATCH TWO: UAB 3, EASTERN MICHIGAN 1
The Blazers carried their momentum into the second match of the day, jumping out to a 7-2 lead. Eastern Michigan battled back throughout the opening set, cutting the deficit to one on several occasions, but UAB never relinquished the advantage. Kills from Vaughn and Tarkkanen helped the Blazers close out the set, 25-21.
The second set was tightly contested early, with the teams even at 10 following an Eastern Michigan block. The Eagles then used a mid-set run to take a 19-13 lead before closing out the frame, 25-16, to even the match.
UAB responded in the third set with an early 4-0 run. Kills from Smock and McCollum helped the Blazers build their largest lead of the set at 16-10. Eastern Michigan fought back to pull within one at 20-19, but UAB answered by scoring five of the final six points to take the set 25-20 and regain the match lead.
The Eagles opened the fourth set with five straight points, but the Blazers steadily chipped away at the deficit before flipping the script with an 8-0 run that put UAB ahead 14-11. The Blazers continued to build their advantage down the stretch and closed out the set with the final three points, capped by a kill from Reese, to secure the 3-1 victory.
Vaughn led all Blazers with 17 kills, while Tarkkanen posted a team-best 19 assists. Delaney Bowser and Reese each recorded 14 digs.
UAB concludes play at the Golden Grizzly Invitational on Saturday against Montana at 9:30 a.m. CT.
2026-27 GOLD CARD
The 2026-27 Gold Card is on sale. The 2026-27 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 American Conference or NCAA Championship events.
SPORT GIFT ACCOUNTS
As UAB student-athletes begin a new year of competition, support through sport-specific gift accounts continues to play a vital role in the department's mission to Win Championships, Graduate with Honors and Make a Difference. Contributions provide essential resources in key areas such as recruiting, nutrition, student-athlete development and technology, helping equip Blazer teams for success in the American Conference. To learn more about supporting your favorite program, click here or contact Blazer Boosters to help fuel the continued success of UAB Athletics.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
For more information on the UAB volleyball team, follow @UAB_VB on X and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
UAB
Oak
Kills
49
50
Errors
16
33
Attempts
128
139
Hitting %
.258
.122
Points
73.0
61.0
Assists
45
48
Aces
6
4
Blocks
18
7
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
4
Aces
0
Blocks
9
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