The UAB Volleyball Team (10-11, 5-4 C-USA) continued their successes on Sunday Afternoon, where they defeated the FAU Owls in a straight set victory. The Blazers, who battled to a five-setter in the last meeting against FAU, made this the second straight-set victory in a row, and third to their streak.
"What a win today. We really had to fight late in sets in order to close them out, and we played with a lot of poise and confidence in those moments." said head coach Betsy Freeburg on the team's overall performance. "It was a day where we didn't feel connected the whole time, yet we were able to come away with a sweep, and we are looking forward to growing from this weekend!"
IN THE SETS
The first set, like the first set in Boca Raton, stayed in close quarters for the Blazers and Owls. UAB was first on the board with a kill from Fernanda Maida, but the Owls quickly jumped out to a 6-3 lead, with the Blazers in tow. It would not take long for the Green and Gold to respond with a 3-0 run to tie the score at eight, before taking the lead after an attack error from the Owls. The score swayed between UAB and FAU before the Blazers took control after the 20-point threshold, where they delivered a 5-0 run to take the set 25-22.
In set two, the Owls once again jumped out to a 2-0 lead over UAB, but the Blazers responded with a run to put them in front 3-2. A kill from Alex Kells, partnered with an ace from Maia Rackel provided the Blazers the lead, but they were halted at 10 with a run from FAU putting the Owls in front. The score then tied five times before hitting the 18-point mark. UAB found an opening with five consecutive kills to put the Blazers within two points of taking set two. The score was then halted at set point twice with a kill and ace from FAU, but the Blazers ended up with a 2-0 lead with a service error from FAU.
The third and final set mirrored the first two, with FAU leading 4-2 before the Blazers were able to tie the score. However, FAU maintained their lead throughout the majority of this set, with the Owls jumping out to a 10-6 lead. The Blazers trailed by as much as five before holding FAU to 15, tying the score. FAU maintained the lead up until set point, but UAB remained in close quarters, tying twice before delivering back-to-back kills and advancing off an attack error to give the Blazers a 26-24 win.
IN THE BOX
The match stayed within close quarters for the entirety of competition, with a total of 33 ties, with 11 in each set. The score would change 13 times, with it only changing twice in the final set.
For the Blazers, the team hit an average of .217 on the afternoon, with Chloe Rodriguez hitting a team-high of .385. UAB outattacked the Owls with a total of 45 kills to 39, though FAU would have more swings with a total of 141 attempts to UAB's 129. On the defensive, the Blazers totaled 11 blocks to the Owls eight.
Stat leaders for UAB include Fernanda Maida, who finished the evening with 16 kills. Maida also led the Blazers in aces with two. In blocks, Jay Collins was the frontrunner with a total of five. Erin Powers headlined the Green and Gold in digs with 20. Alex Kells finished the day with a double-double totaling 13 kills and 12 digs.
QUOTES FROM BETSY FREEBURG
"Chloe Rodriguez was great from the start for us today and gave us a lot of sparks with her attacking, especially in sets one and two. Alex Kells put together another double-double performance and was huge at the end of set three. Erin Powers' 20 digs in three sets was quite impressive as well.
UP NEXT
The Blazers return to the road, where they'll take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m.
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