The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
6-6,0-0American
Samford
3-7,0-0SoCon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAB | 25 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 1 |
| Samford | 18 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Blazers Drop 3-1 Decision at Samford
9/20/2026 8:52:00β―PM | Women's Volleyball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. β The UAB volleyball team fell 3-1 to Samford on Sunday afternoon at the Pete Hanna Center.
The Blazers used a 4-0 run to break a 5-5 tie and take an early lead in the opening set. UAB continued to hold the advantage, with a kill by Mia Reese followed by an Annastiina Tarkkanen service ace extending the lead to 19-14. After Samford trimmed the deficit to three at 21-18, the Blazers closed the set with four consecutive points, capped by a block from Sydney Austin and Makayla Meister, to take the opener 25-18.
UAB again used an early surge in the second set, scoring four straight points to take an 8-5 lead following a Delaney Bowser service ace. Samford responded with a 7-1 run to take a 17-11 advantage and went on to even the match with a 25-19 set victory.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the third set before UAB battled back. Kills from Kennedy Vaughn and Reese sandwiched a Samford attack error to pull the Blazers within three at 16-13. Samford answered with three straight points and held on for a 25-20 win to take a 2-1 match lead.
UAB opened the fourth set with a 7-3 run, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Meister. Kills from Meister and Reese later extended the Blazers' advantage to 16-11, but Samford closed the match on a 7-0 run to secure the 3-1 victory.
Reese and Vaughn each recorded double-doubles, finishing with 14 kills and 11 digs apiece. Rachel McCollum paced the UAB offense with 25 assists, while Tarkkanen added 20 assists. Bowser led the Blazers defensively with 13 digs.
The Blazers open American Conference play on Friday when they travel to Philadelphia, Pa., to face Temple. First serve from McGonigle Hall is set for 11 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.
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