Crimson Tide Volleyball to Close Regular Season at Home
11/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
After consecutive weekends on the road against some of the hottest teams in the Southeastern Conference, the University of Alabama volleyball team returns to its home court to close out the 2006 regular season this weekend. The Tide welcomes South Carolina to the CAVE on Friday night and closes out the schedule with Georgia on Sunday afternoon.
“This weekend is the final stretch of what has been our SEC regular-season marathon,” said Tide head coach Judy Green. “A lot will be determined based upon the final two matches of play in the league. We are thankful to be playing at home and our players have been very focused on improving as a team and have shown tremendous spirit this week in practice.”
The Tide has been one of the toughest home teams in the SEC this season, owning an 11-3 mark overall at home this season and a 7-1 record in the CAVE against league opponents. Alabama’s only home loss in the SEC came at the hands of highly-ranked Florida. Included among the seven conference wins are victories over LSU and Tennessee, who were both ranked in the top 25 at the time of the match. Alabama beat both of its weekend opponents earlier this season on the road.
South Carolina (15-15, 8-11) enters Friday’s match riding a three-game win streak after home victories over Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. The Gamecocks rely heavily on the talents of Shonda Cole, one of the most dominant hitters in the nation. Cole averages 5.75 kills per game, easily the best average in the SEC, and has nearly twice as many attempts as any other player on the Carolina roster.
The Gamecocks are a solid serving unit, ranking fourth in the SEC in service assists this season and rank sixth in the league in blocking. The Tide-Gamecock match is slated to begin at 7 p.m. on Friday. Prior to the match, Alabama will honor junior Crystal Hudson, who recorded her 1,000th career kill two weeks ago in a win at Tennessee.
Georgia (6-23, 2-17) comes to Tuscaloosa having lost its last eight matches in the conference, including a 3-0 loss to South Carolina in Columbia on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs are led by Maria Taylor, who ranks second in the league behind Cole in kills per game, averaging 4.46 this season. Brooke Burlingame is in the top 10 in the SEC in digs with a 4.18 per game average.
First serve for the Alabama-Georgia match is set for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. The day is also the Tide’s Senior Day, where seniors Rachael Green and Abbi Blackburn will be honored following the match. Fans are invited to a cookout following the Georgia match featuring the two seniors.
“Sunday will be a special day for us, as we honor our two seniors, Rachael Green and Abbi Blackburn,” said Green. “Each have had stellar careers in an Alabama uniform and we are looking forward to recognizing their accomplishments.”
The weekend matches are the final on the regular-season schedule for the Tide. The NCAA selects the 64-team field for the 2006 NCAA Volleyball Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 26.
