Alabama Volleyball Notes: Crimson Tide Invitational
9/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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BAMA WELCOMES TRIO OF SQUADS FOR CRIMSON TIDE INVITATIONAL
The Crimson Tide opens the home portion of its schedule this weekend when the team hosts the Crimson Tide Invitational beginning on Friday. The two-day four team event includes UA, Marshall, McNeese State and West Virginia in a round robin format. The tournament schedule...
Friday (Sept. 6)
5:00 pm McNeese State vs Missouri
7:30 pm West Virginia vs Alabama
Saturday (Sept. 7)
11:00 am Missouri vs West Virginia
1:00 pm McNeese State vs Alabama
5:00 pm West Virginia vs McNeese State
7:30 pm Missouri vs Alabama
SISTER ACT
Friday night's tournament opener for the Crimson Tide will serve as a family reunion for senior setter Bridget Studnicka since her younger sister, Brandice, is the setter for West Virginia. This will mark the first time the two Clay Center, Neb., natives have played against each other in real competition. A large group of family members are making the trip to Tuscaloosa for the contest complete with home made shirts sporting both sisters uniform numbers.
ALABAMA WINS WITH ACES HIGH
Prior to the season, Coach Green thought that the Tide's aggressive serving could be a weapon for the team. After the opening matches, she knows it can be as Alabama has notched double-digit aces in each of the first four matches. The Tide extended its string to four matches with 13 in UA's win over UAB on Tuesday night. Alabama served up 18 points in the championship match with Illinois State, the most since a 19-ace performance versus Mississippi State on Nov. 23, 1990. Last season, UA was one of the league's top servers but never tallied more than back-to-back double-digit performances. In fact, the Tide had just nine matches with 10+ aces a year ago.
"BOMB SQUAD" EARNS TOURNEY HONORS
Alabama got a balanced performance from its entire lineup at the Barker GMC but three players garnered special attention earning all-tournament honors. Sophomore Erin Heffner led the way being named the MVP of the event. Juniors Erin Price and Jennifer Bibber were also rewarded for their stellar play. UA Coach Judy Green has dubbed her outside hitter corps the "Bomb Squad" because of the powerful kills the group records.
SCOUTING REPORT
West Virginia... The Mountaineers opened the season with a 2-1 mark on the road in Pittsburgh, Pa., this past weekend. WVU earned wins over Western Illinois (3-0) and Liberty (3-0) before falling to the host team Duquesne (3-1).
McNeese State... The Cowgirls come into the weekend's action having lost their last two matches against Southern Miss (3-1) and UL-Lafayette (3-2) in the Cowgirl Roundup. McNeese started the year with back-to-back wins over Jackson State (3-0) and Prairie View (3-0) on the first day of their home tourney.
Missouri... The Tigers started the season with a pair of victories over Idaho State (3-0) and Idaho before losing to Oregon State (3-1) in the championship match of OSU's tournament.
TIDE VERSUS THE FIELD
Alabama has never met any of the other teams in the Crimson Tide Invitational field before in volleyball action.
UA HOME OPENER MARKS
The Crimson Tide owns a 17-4 all-time mark in home opening matches including a current four-match win streak. UA is 4-2 under Judy Green and its last home debut loss was a 3-2 defeat to Louisiana Tech in 1997.
CHASIN' THE BIG 500
With the recent success of the Crimson Tide, the team and its coach are both keeping an eye ahead on a fast-approaching mileston. With 492 all-time wins, Alabama needs just 8 victories to get the 500th in program history. In addition, head coach Judy Green (who began her coaching career with a successful stint at Montevallo) is only 11 "Ws" from earning her 500th career win. (see charts)
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.
BAMA 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.
HOME SWEET HOME
For the past two seasons, Alabama had enjoyed a huge home court advantage playing in the "CAVE" (Coleman Auxiliary Volleyball Extension). The Tide posted an 9-3 mark in home matches in 2001 to improve to 17-5 in the venues two seasons as the home of Crimson Tide volleyball. The fans have come out in support of UA since the move with Bama posting its second highest season attendance average a year ago.
"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.
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.
EXTRA, EXTRA...
? Freshman Kelley Potter made her collegiate debut in the season opener as the first UA player to play the newly created "Libero" position.
? Following their tourney victory at Illinois State, the players reaped a little more attention... the team's flight was less than full and the flight crew invited the "Champs" to move up to the empty first-class section.
? 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.
? Senior setter Bridget Studnicka and sophomore setter Kenna Milner were named the Crimson Tide team captains for this season.
? Junior college transfer Den?e Ezerins saw her first playing time of the year in Bama's victory over in-state foe UAB.
