Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UAB
UAB Outlasts Volleyball, 3-1
11/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 2, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Marshall University's Elizabeth Fleming (South Bend, Ind.) earned a triple-double with 12 kills, 42 assists and 12 digs, but UAB received a 21 kill-effort from Ivana Bozic to help pace the Blazers to a 3-1 (26-28, 15-25, 25-22, 23-25) victory over the Thundering Herd in Sunday afternoon's Conference USA volleyball show down at Bartow Arena.
With the loss, Marshall falls to 10-13 overall, 3-10 in C-USA action, while UAB improves to 22-3 on the season, 12-1 in league play.
Leading 2-1 in the match, UAB established a 16-10 lead and extended the advantage to 21-15 before a Fleming solo block, a Blazers attacking error and a Fleming kill cut the Marshall deficit to 21-18. Layne Kehl (Mountain Top, Pa.) then drilled a kill and Emily Sullivan (Cincinnati, Ohio) added three, as Marshall scored four of the next five points to knot the set at 22-22. Casey Dent answered with two kills to give UAB a 24-22 edge, before Sullivan downed another kill to bring Marshall to within one at 24-23. From there, a Herd attacking error allowed the Blazers to claim the set and the match.
The win was UAB's 16th in a row, and the all-time series between the teams is now tied 4-4.
In the opening set, UAB surged to a 10-4 lead, before Marshall scored nine of the next 13 points to pull to within one at 14-13. Kristin Marcum (Arlington, Texas) blasted three kills, Sullivan added two, Megan Carlson (Andover, Minn.) added a service ace and Jalicia Ross (Bank Village, Trinidad) downed a kill to highlight Marshall's run. From there, UAB went ahead 18-13, but a pair of kills from Fleming and a pair of assisted blocks by Sullivan and Kehl cut the Herd deficit to one at 18-17. The Blazers extended its lead to 23-20 before Marshall used a Marcum kill and a pair of UAB errors to knot the set at 23-23. Ross and Elizabeth Herman (Dunwoody, Ga.) then teamed on a block to give the Herd a 24-23 lead. From there the teams played to a 26-26 stalemate before Andrea Lalic and Bozic notched a kill each to give UAB a 28-26 set one victory.
UAB built a 16-8 lead to start the second frame before a Blazers attacking error and back-to-back kills by Ross and Herman cut the gap to 16-11, but could not get closer than five points, as UAB posted a 23-14 lead. Following a Marcum kill, Bozic delivered two more to seal the set and take a 2-0 lead in the contest.
With UAB leading 2-0 in the contest, the teams fought to seven early deadlocks and an 8-8 score before the Blazers used a run of three consecutive points to post an 11-8 lead. From there, the Herd rallied for five-straight points, highlighted by a pair of Herman kills, and one apiece from Fleming and Taylor Tanner (Union, Ky.) giving Marshall a 12-11 edge. The teams battled to eight more ties and a pair of lead changes before a Blazers attacking error and a kill by Fleming gave the Herd a 24-22 advantage. Sullivan then sealed the set with a solo block.
Carlson finished with a match-high and career-best 27 digs while Marcum added 11. Sullivan drilled 12 kills and Herman downed 10 kills to lead Marshall's offensive effort. Kehl contributed seven kills and three assisted blocks while Ross killed nine balls for the Herd.
Lalic finished with 15 kills for UAB, while Dent finished with nine. Nevena Stefanov guided the Blazers' offense with a match-high 54 assists.
Marshall returns to C-USA action, Friday Nov. 7 for a 7:00 p.m. showdown with UCF. The Herd will then meet Southern Miss, Sunday, Nov. 9 in a 12:00 p.m. contest. Both matches will take place in the Cam Henderson Center and admission is free.
