Volleyball Match Notes: South Carolina & Kentucky
10/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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CRIMSON TIDE HOSTS USC & UK IN WEEKEND OF REMATCHES
The University of Alabama Volleyball team concludes its current home stand this weekend against South Carolina (Friday) and Kentucky (Sunday). The pair of matches represent rematches of Bama's SEC opening weekend when UA defeated UK, 3-1 and lost at USC, 3-0.
INSIDE THE SERIES...
Alabama and South Carolina are tied 10-10 in their all-time series. USC has won the last three meetings and 6 of the last 7. UA's lone win in the stretch came in Tuscaloosa in 1999... The Tide trails 5-15 in the series with Kentucky. Bama has enjoyed some recent success against the Wildcats having earned three consecutive victories.
HOME SWEET HOME
For the past two seasons, Alabama has enjoyed a huge home court advantage playing in the "CAVE" (Coleman Auxiliary Volleyball Extension). The Tide is 4-2 this season at home, improving to 21-7 in the venues third season as the home of Crimson Tide Volleyball. The fans have also come out in support of UA since the move with Bama posting two of the program's largest average attendance totals the past two seasons.
SCOUTING REPORT
South Carolina... Carolina is one of the hottest teams in the country having won eight straight matches. Climbing into this week's poll at No. 24, the Lady Gamecocks own a 14-3 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark in the SEC.
Kentucky... The Wildcats are in the midst of a slump having dropped 7 of their last 8 contests including a current four-match losing skid headed into the weekend. UK looks to end their slide on Friday against Auburn before facing the Tide.
TIDE VERSUS THE SEC EAST
Alabama owns a 42-73 all-time mark against the all of the teams in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division. The Tide has dropped 6 of its last 7 against South Carolina with their lone win in the stretch coming in 1999. Bama has defeated Kentucky in their last three match-ups. Here's the breakdown of the Tide against the SEC East —
Florida: 5-18 South Carolina: 10-10
Georgia: 16-12 Tennessee: 6-18
Kentucky: 5-15
THREE'S A CHARM
The Tide owns an impressive 16-4 record in Game 3s this year. UA has won 9 of its last 10 game threes.
BAMA V'BALL EARNS 500th VICTORY
On October 6th, the Crimson Tide defeated Mississippi State 3-1 marking the 500th win in Alabama volleyball history. Bama now owns a 501-349 all-time mark.
RUNNIN' DOWN THE DREAM
With the Crimson Tide team having reached the 500-win plateau, attention can now be turned to UA head coach Judy Green and her quest to earn her 500th career coaching victory. Green (who began her coaching career with a successful decade at Montevallo) has 498 total "Ws" and is just 2 wins from reaching the 500 mark. (see charts)Bama's victory over Ole Miss on Oct. 4 was Green's 100th in her seven-year Tide tenure (102-111 all-time at UA).
UA HONOR ROLL
The list of honors received by Tide players this year...
ERIN HEFFNER —
SEC Player of the Week (9/30-10/6)
Tournament MVP (Barker GMC Classic)
All-Tournament (Crimson Tide Invitational)
All-Tournament (Georgia Tech Invitational)
ERIN PRICE —
All-Tournament (Barker GMC Classic)
JENNIFER BIBBER —
All-Tournament (Barker GMC Classic)
KENNA MILNER —
All-Tournament (Crimson Tide Invitational)
KORY TULL —
All-Tournament (Georgia Tech Invitational)
HEFFNER NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the second time in her career, UA sophomore Erin Heffner was named the SEC Volleyball Player of the Week (Sept. 30-Oct.6). Heffner led Bama to a 2-0 record and finished with back-to-back 20+ kill outings and an astounding 6.29 kills per game average with a .473 hitting percentage.
A LONG & WINDING ROAD
Following their home tournament on Sept. 13-14, the Crimson Tide embarked on a month-long stretch that kept them away from the friendly confines of the "CAVE" for 11 of 12 matches including a stretch of seven straight matches in which the Tide posted an impressive 5-2 record.
ACES FLYING HIGH FOR BAMA
The Crimson Tide is 2nd in the SEC and ranks 10th in the country for service aces with an average of 2.48 per game. Junior Erin Price is listed 26th in the NCAA with 0.63 aces per contest. Alabama notched double-digit aces in 6 of the first 7 matches. Last season, UA was one of the SEC's top servers but never tallied more than back-to-back double-digit performances. In fact, the Tide had only 9 matches with 10+ aces for the entire year. Bama already has 8 double-figure ace performances in 2002. UA served up a season-best 18 points vs Illinois State, marking the most since a 19-ace performance versus Mississippi State on Nov. 23, 1990.
BAMA WINS 11 STRAIGHT IN-STATE
With its Sept. 18 win over Jacksonville State, Alabama has now posted 11 straight wins over in-state opponents. UA has not lost to an in-state squad since a 3-2 decision to Auburn in 1999. Bama's last loss to an in-state team other than AU was to UAB in 1994.
UA REACHES CHAMPIONSHIP OF CRIMSON TIDE INVITATIONAL
Alabama looked ready to make it two straight tournament crowns but a talented Missouri squad stood in the way handing the Tide its first loss of the year in the championship match.
CRIMSON TIDE OPENS YEAR WITH TITLE
For the second consecutive season the Tide volleyball team posted an undefeated record en route to earning the tournament title in their season debut event. Alabama posted 3-1 victories over Marshall, Florida State and Illinois State last weekend to win the Barker GMC Classic crown. The championship marked the 22nd in program history and was the third for the Tide in Coach Judy Green's tenure.
2002 SLATE OFFERS UP CHALLENGES
Of the 26 opponents on the Tide's schedule this season... 16 finished the 2001 campaign with winning records including 8 with over 20 victories ...Five teams won conference titles. Eight teams on the UA ledger earned invitations to the NCAA Tournament.
CUSIMANO TO MISS ANOTHER SEASON
Redshirt freshman, Jennifer Cusimano, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the first match last season reinjured her knee during some preseason training and will miss the upcoming season following a second surgery.
UA LOOKS FOR 4TH STRAIGHT WINNING SEASON
With three consecutive winning seasons the Crimson Tide volleyball program is already in the midst of a historic run since it is the first time in modern volleyball history (since 1989 reinstatement of the sport at UA). What's next? Alabama would like to make it four in a row and also post the team's third straight 20+ win season. The program's first ever NCAA Tournament invitation is also high on the players and coaches goal list.
"CAVE" GETS UPGRADES WITH MORE TO COME
Bama's volleyball home — The CAVE — recently got some a much deserved upgrade as a new floor design was painted on the competition playing surface. A wider crimson border and an elephant head on each end were added to give the the floor at more "Alabama" flavor. Other additions include hanging action photos of the Tide seniors and juniors along with a gigantic Bama "A" logo greeting fans as they enter the gym. New volleyball specific scoreboards have also been installed. In addition to these upgrades, more amenities are planned for next summer when two sets of 500 chairback permanent, retractable bleachers will be installed on each side of the court giving Alabama a truly volleyball specific playing arena.
EXTRA ?EXTRA...
? Senior setter Bridget Studnicka and sophomore setter Kenna Milner were named the 2002 Crimson Tide team captains.
? Baby, Baby — UA assistant coach Michelle Durban and her husband Jason welcomed their first child, Alyson Lynn, on Sept. 18. Alyson weighed 8 lbs, 1 oz and was 21 inches long.
? Freshman Kelley Potter made her collegiate debut in the season opener as the first UA player to play the newly created "Libero" position.
? When the Tide played West Virginia (Sept. 6) it was a family reunion for Bridget Studnicka and her younger sister Brandice, a setter for the Mountaineers. Close to 30 of the sister's family members made the drive from Nebraska to see the match-up all dressed in matching T-shirts sporting both Bridget's #18 and Brandice's #23.
? Freshman walk-on Mary Beth Moore (a native of Double Springs, Ala.) took the first plane ride of her life when UA boarded a Northwest flight headed for Detroit on Aug. 29.
? 5-10 sophomore Kory Tull made her first career start for the Tide against Marshall... as a middle blocker. Tull was expected to challenge for the libero role but with the preseason injuries she got a shot and the middle and has made a difference ever since.
? Tough Slate — From the beginning UA's 2002 schedule looked challenging, but now after 7 weeks of play it has lived up to its billing. The 7 teams that have defeated the Tide currently own a 102-22 (.823) overall record. Five of the squads — Nebraska (#4), Santa Clara (#14), Georgia Tech (#20), Missouri (#22), South Carolina (#24) — are currently in the Top 25 with the other two (Michigan - 36th and Arkansas - RV) just outside the poll. Here's a look at all their current records:
Nebraska (15-1) Santa Clara (15-2)
Missouri (15-3) Georgia Tech (19-3)
S. Carolina (14-3) Michigan (10-6)
Arkansas (14-4)
? Common Bonds — UA sophomore Erin Heffner and UK senior Anne Koester and redshirt freshman Leigh Marcum are all former standouts from the Munciana Club Team.
? South Region Rankings — For the third consecutive season, the Alabama volleyball team has earned a South Region ranking from the AVCA.
Eight SEC teams are listed including the top five squads. Here's how the 10/9 poll looks:
1. Florida
2. South Carolina
3. Arkansas
4. ALABAMA
5. LSU
6. Western Kentucky
7. New Mexico State
8. Kentucky
9. Tennessee
10. Georgia
