Volleyball Weekly Match Notes: LSU & Arkansas
10/9/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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BAMA FACES LSU & ARKANSAS IN SEC HOME DEBUT
After nearly a month on the road, the Crimson Tide volleyball squad makes its long-awaited return home to square off against a pair of SEC Western Division rivals. The Tide meets LSU on Friday night before welcoming Arkansas for a televised Sunday afternoon tilt.
INSIDE THE SERIES...
LSU holds a slight 18-15 lead in the all-time series with the Tide. Over the last two seasons, the pair have split six meetings with Bama taking the last match a year ago 3-2 score after LSU had swept the regular season contests. Arkansas owns a 15-2 advantage in the all-time series against Bama with the Lady 'Backs taking the first 13 matches. The two squads have split their dual meetings the past two seasons with the home team earning the "W" each time.
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 3-1 this season at home, improving to 20-6 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 its second highest season attendance average a year ago.
TUBE TIME FOR THE TIDE
Alabama makes its second television appearances of the year this weekend when the Tide hosts Arkansas at 2:30 pm on Sunday afternoon in "The CAVE". The Tide-Lady 'Back match is being shown live by Fox Sports Net South as part of the SEC weekly television package.
SCOUTING REPORT
LSU... The Tigers enter this weekend's contest at 9-5 overall and 1-2 in the SEC. LSU lost 3-1 to South Carolina in their last match and had their Georgia match last Friday postponed because of last week's hurricane in the Gulf.
Arkansas... The Lady Razorbacks are 12-4 (3-1 SEC) and will play at Auburn on Friday before coming to the Capstone. Arkansas brings in the SEC's top defense as they lead the league in blocks & digs. Sunday's match features the SEC's top hitter (Erin Heffner) versus its top blocker (Sara Kincaid).
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. Heffner guided Bama to a 2-0 record last week and finished with back-to-back 20+ kill outings and an astounding 6.29 kills per game average with a .473 hitting percentage.
BAMA V'BALL EARNS 500th VICTORY
In addition to giving the Tide its seventh straight weekend sweep of Ole Miss/Mississippi State, Sunday's 3-1 victory over MSU also marked the 500th win in Alabama volleyball history. With the win Bama improved to 500-348 all-time.
TIDE VERSUS THE SEC WEST
Alabama owns a 102-82 all-time mark against all of the teams in the SEC Western Division. The Tide has won its last seven straight versus Ole Miss. Bama has also defeated Mississippi State in their last six meetings. Here's the breakdown of the Tide against the SEC West:
Arkansas: 2-15 Ole Miss: 31-12
Auburn: 27-25 Miss State: 27-12
LSU: 15-18
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 497 total "Ws" and is just 3 wins from reaching the 500 mark. (see charts)
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)
ROAD WARRIORS
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 9th in the country for service aces with an average of 2.53 per game. Junior Erin Price is listed 23rd in the NCAA with 0.67 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.
? Following Bama's tourney victory at Illinois State, the Tide players reaped a little more attention... the team's flight was less than full and the flight crew invited the "Champs" to move up and enjoy the comforts of the empty first-class section.
? 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 loss of Jennifer Cusimano and the slow healing of senior Shelly Adamcik's foot, the coaches decided to give Tull a look and she made the most of her chance and she's made a huge impact for the Tide.
? A Big Red Homecoming —The Tide's visit to Nebraska was a sort of homecoming for senior setter Bridget Studnicka, a native of Clay Center, Neb. A lifetime supporter of the Cornhuskers, she had the chance to play in front of over 50 friends and family members.
? Tough Slate — From the beginning UA's 2002 schedule looked challenging, but now after a 6 weeks of play it has lived up to its billing. The six teams that have defeated the Tide currently own a 79-16 (.832) overall record. Four of the squads — Nebraska (#5), Santa Clara (#14), Georgia Tech (#21), Missouri (#23) — are currently in the Top 25 with the other two (South Carolina - 26th, Michigan - 36th) just outside the poll. Here's a look at all their current records:
Nebraska (13-1) Santa Clara (13-2)
Missouri (14-2) Georgia Tech (18-3)
S. Carolina (12-3) Michigan (9-5)
? Common Bonds — LSU freshman outside hitter Markeisha Constant is a product of Central High School in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Constant is the only player on either LSU or Arkansas' rosters that hails from the state of Alabama. The Tide lists no players from either Louisiana or Arkansas.
? Ya Say Its Your Birthday — UA sophomore Kenna Milner celebrated her 20th birthday last weekend. Milner's big day (Oct. 5) was sandwiched between a pair of SEC road wins by the Tide..
