Tide Volleyball Falls on the Road at #21 Louisville
9/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Alabama got a slow start but fought until the final point in a 3-0 (30-15, 30-17, 30-25) loss at No. 21 Louisville on Friday night.
The match concluded the Crimson Tide's season-opening eight match road trip with Bama posting a 2-6 mark. The win improved Louisville's season record to 4-3.
"If we want to be competitive against good teams we have to serve and pass the ball better," said UA head coach Judy Green. "We just couldn't get things going until the third game. I'm still proud that we finished this week with a well-earned split against some tough competition. I'm also excited about getting back home finally to play."
The early part of game one was spent with each team trying to get a feel for the other. Louisville settled down first taking a comfortable lead midway through the frame (19-12). The Cardinals closed the game by scoring the final eight points for the 30-15 victory.
Game two featured the Crimson Tide's first lead of the match and saw the much smaller Bama squad battled toe-to-toe with Louisville through the first half of the frame. However, with the Tide trailing by just one (15-14) U of L scored 13 consecutive points off the serve of Jennifer Hoffman including four aces to blow the contest open. UA fought off several game points before the Cardinals finally scored the 30-17 win.
The third stanza opened with the two teams trading points in a sideout battle. The Cardinals pushed in front 17-11 only to see Alabama fight back with four straight to trim the deficit to only two. Louisville stretched its lead back to four where it stayed until a late Bama charge cut the margin to just one at 26-25. U of L again finished strong scoring the final four points to earn the sweep with a 30-25 win.
Erin Heffner continued to be the Tide's top offensive threat finishing with a team-high 12 kills in the contest. Heffner also scored a team leading three aces and three blocks. Kelley Potter, a native of Edgewood, Ky., paced the Bama defense with 10 digs.
The Crimson Tide returns home for its next competition as Alabama hosts the Crimson Tide Invitational on Sept. 19-20. Bama faces Jacksonville State at Noon on Friday in the first home match of the year in the newly renovated CAVE.
Alabama (2-6) 15-17-25
#21 Louisville (4-3) 30-30-30
