Volleyball Concludes Spring Season at Beach Championships
4/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
April 17, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The volleyball team will compete in its final event of the spring season Saturday, April 18 when it hits the sand courts at the Fiesta on Siesta Key for the Second Annual SEC Coaches Beach Volleyball Championships. The Crimson Tide will field four pairings for the day-long tournament that begins at 9:30 a.m. (EST).
"Even though Mother Nature has not allowed us to get in the sand most of the spring our players are very excited to go back and compete for the Commissioners Cup this weekend at the Championships," said head coach Judy Green. "We are going to truly enjoy playing at Siesta Key, and the weather is going to be ideal for some great play. We will be entering four teams, and we feel each of our teams has good chemistry and is balanced. It should be one of the best days of volleyball for us since we started spring training."
Alabama enjoyed a successful trip to the inaugural SEC Coaches Beach Volleyball Championships in 2008 where it placed fourth out of 11. In addition, junior Brooks Webster and sophomore Mary Catherine Aune captured the silver medal in the tournament's gold bracket.
Webster and Aune will compete again together this season forming quite a talented duo. Webster is an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-SEC selection, who was recently selected to take part in the U.S. Women's National A2 Team. Aune, the team's leading server with 41 aces last season, will also provide depth on the defensive side as she collected the third-most digs in 2008.
New to the SEC beach volleyball scene will be freshmen Ashley Frazier, Leigh Moyer and Lauren Wintzinger, along with newcomer Kayla Schmidt. Frazier and Wintzinger will make a solid one-two punch both offensively and defensively. Moyer will join senior Liz Salstrand and junior Jennifer Weber to make up yet another balanced team for Alabama. Schmidt, who was the AVCA Junior College Player of the Year last season, will be paired up with one of the Tide's most consistent performers in sophomore Alyssa Meuth.
For more information on the Championships or to follow along with the action visit FiestaonSiestaKey.com.
