Crimson Tide Volleyball Team Set for a Busy Weekend
10/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA ?? The University of Alabama volleyball team is prepared for one of its busiest, and most competitive, weekends of conference play when the team plays host to Arkansas and No. 10 LSU in the CAVE Friday and Sunday respectively. The matches mark the continuation of two rivalries that have done much to decide the fate of the SEC west race in the recent past.
"This is a weekend that will go a long way in determining the SEC Western Division Championship," head coach Judy Green said. "Both Arkansas and LSU are having great seasons and they are very well coached teams. For us we are looking at this weekend as another opportunity to play two Top 40 teams in the nation."
The match against Arkansas on Friday (October 6), will be available to a national audience. Fox Sports Net (FSN) will be on hand to broadcast the match live. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. CT. In addition, the SEC office has named the matchup between the Tide and the Razorbacks its "Match of the Week", meaning the match will be featured prominently on the league web site, www.secsports.com.
"FSN likes the Alabama and Arkansas match up," Green said. "The rivalry is usually some of the most exciting volleyball of the year. Our staff and team are excited to have this chance and we are looking to make a good showing."
Alabama's contest with Arkansas has also been dubbed as "Cram the CAVE IV". Fans will have the opportunity to receive one of the approximately 700 free t-shirts that will be given out in addition to other promotional opportunities and giveaways.
In addition to the television broadcast on FSN the match will be covered on the radion as well. The Capstone, FM 90.7, will carry the game on the air and on the station's web site, www.newrock907.com.
On Sunday October 8, the tenth-ranked Tigers from LSU enter the CAVE for another heated SEC West rivalry match. Featured on that day will be an Alabama Legends Day, where the Tide will honor former standout Erin Heffner, who set nearly every offensive record during her illustrious career with the Tide.
"Throughout this season we decided to begin the tradition of honoring former Alabama volleyball players who had big impacts in the development of our program," Green said. "This Sunday we will be honoring Erin Heffner (2001-04), the most decorated volleyball player in the modern era of Alabama volleyball."
First serve for the LSU match is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sunday, with Legends Day ceremonies taking place prior to the start of the match. Television coverage will be provided by WVUA-TV, with the radio broadcast being carried by The Capstone, FM 90.7.
The Tide (9-6, 4-2) comes into the weekend sporting a two-game league win streak after UA came back to win a pair of road SEC matches last weekend. Alabama dropped game one against Georgia last Friday, but came back to win three straight in convincing fashion for the 3-1 victory.
In Columbia, S.C., on Sunday, Alabama dropped the first two games, but fought back to earn a 3-2 win over the Gamecocks in what was one of the most complete efforts by the team this season.
Two Tide players stand poised to break into the Alabama career charts this weekend. Middle blocker Crystal Hudson, a junior from Hueytown, needs 13 kills to give her 865 for her career and put her in the top-10 list in career kills. Junior setter Brigitte Slack needs seven assists to equal 3,500 in her career and is 13 shy of third place on the UA all-time charts.
