Volleyball Hosts Alabama A&M on Tuesday
10/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 3, 2011
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Crimson Tide (8-8, 2-4 SEC) wraps up a three-match homestand against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs (5-14, 0-0 SWAC) on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. at Foster Auditorium. The Crimson Tide finishes the week with a pair of Southeastern Conference road matches at No. 19 Tennessee and Kentucky. UA's match against the Lady Vols is scheduled for Oct. 7, at 6 p.m. CT, and the week closes with a 12:30 p.m. CT, match at Kentucky on Sunday, Oct. 9.
Alabama (8-8, 2-4 SEC) vs. Alabama A&M Bulldogs (5-14/0-0 SWAC)
October 4, 2011 | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Foster Auditorium | 7 p.m. CT
TV: WVUA |Audio: WVUA FM 90.7 | Live Stats: RollTide.com | Video: RollTide.com
FOLLOW THE TIDE ONLINE
Alabama's home match against Alabama A&M will have a live radio broadcast available on WVUA 90.7 FM and online at WVUA-FM.ua.edu. The WVUA broadcast will also be available as part of the live video webcast on RollTide.com, through the All Access subscription plan. Livestats will also be available on RollTide.com.
CRIMSON TIDE PROMOTIONS
Tuesday' night's volleyball match will be "Spirit Night." The Alabama Athletic Department will distribute crimson and white shakers to the first 500 fans in attendance. Additionally, senior offensive lineman Barrett Jones from the No. 2 ranked Alabama football team takes the matches' honorary first serve.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Junior outside hitter Kayla Fitterer continues to put up good offensive numbers for the Tide. Last week, Fitterer led Alabama with 24 kills in matches against Mississippi and Mississippi State. She averaged 3.42 kills, 4.0 points and 1.86 digs per set, while posting a .279 hitting percentage for the week. Fitterer leads the team with 275 kills and ranks second in the SEC and 21st in the nation with 4.30 kills per set.
Andrea McQuaid led the Crimson Tide with a .293 hitting percentage last week, posting 13 kills in the two matches. McQuaid was second on the team with 22 digs (3.14 dps) and had double-doubles in assists and digs in both matches against the Mississippi schools. McQuaid missed her third triple-double of the season when she had nine kills, and team-highs of 21 assists and 12 digs against the Rebels. For the season, McQuaid leads the team with 362 assists to rank 10th in the SEC with 5.66 assists per set. She is second on the team with 2.84 digs per set and fourth on the squad with 1.61 kills per set.
SCOUTING THE ALABAMA A&M BULLDOGS
The Alabama A&M Bulldogs enter this week with a 5-14 overall record and are coming off a straight sets win over Albany State on Sept. 27. The Bulldogs have not played a march in Southwest Athletics Conference action this season. Including the win over Albany State, the Bulldogs also have wins over Southeast Missouri State (3-1), SE Louisiana (3-1), Florida Gulf Coast (3-1) and Grambling (3-1). Alabama A&M has a 0-7 record in road matches this season.
As a team, Alabama State averages 10.59 kills per set while posting a .166 team hitting percentage. The Bulldogs also average 9.40 assists, 1.23 service aces, 1.51 blocks and 12.91 digs per set.
Karensa Beckford leads the team with 251 kills to average 3.75 kills per set. Beckford's .224 hitting percentage is second on the team behind Clairissa Moore's team-leading .253 hitting mark. Moore is second on the team with 219 kills to average 3.27 kills per set. Leslie Ekpe averages 0.87 blocks per set to lead the team, while Ashley Forman's 6.61 assists per set if tops on the squad. Audrey Harris averages 3.49 digs per set with a team-high 244 digs in 2011.
When Alabama and Alabama A&M meet on Tuesday, it will mark the sixth meeting all-time between the two in-state schools. Alabama has won the previous five meetings, with all being played in Tuscaloosa. In the most recent match up, Alabama defeated the Bulldogs in straight sets on Sept. 7, 2010. Since the first meeting in 2004, UA has not dropped a set to the Bulldogs.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK
Alabama posted a 1-1 record last week at home, defeating Mississippi (3-1) and losing to Mississippi State (0-3). Combined with its win at Georgia and the win over the Rebels, it marked back-to-back wins for the Alabama for the first time since the beginning of the 2009 SEC schedule. Alabama posted a .213 hitting percentage in its two matches and averaged 12.14 kills and 10.86 assists per set. Alabama had seven blocks against Mississippi State to post a season-high in a three-set match.
Other Notables From Last Week
*With a team-high 37 assists last week, senior setter Stephanie Riley moved in to seventh place in the Alabama career annals with 1,636 assists.
*With 20 digs in two matches last week, Kelsey Anderson moved into eighth place in the Alabama record books with 951 career digs.
*Junior outside hitter Kayla Fitterer led the Tide in kills in both matches, and has now led Alabama in kills in 15 of 16 matches in 2011. Fitterer averages 4.30 kills and 4.81 points per set for the season to rank third in the SEC. Fitterer is fourth on the team with 170 digs (2.66 dpg).
*Andrea McQuaid posted a team-high .293 hitting percentage last week, tallying 13 kills in the two matches. McQuaid also had 34 assists, 22 digs, four blocks and two aces last week. McQuaid tallied her sixth and seventh double-doubles of the season against Mississippi (21a, 12d) and Mississippi State (13a, 10d).
*Cortney Warren was second on the team with 19 kills and five total blocks, including two solo blocks, last week.
*Katherine White led the Tide with six total blocks last week.
TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE
In addition to RollTide.com, Alabama volleyball can be followed on Twitter (@AlabamaVBall) and Facebook (facebook.com/AlabamaVBall). Additionally, video content will be available on the Alabama women's volleyball YouTube channel (youtube.com/AlabamaVBall).
NEXT WEEK FOR THE TIDE
Next week, Alabama returns to Foster Auditorium for a pair of SEC matches against South Carolina and nationally ranked Florida. The Tide opens the week with a Friday evening match against the Gamecocks, with first scheduled for 7 p.m., on Oct. 14. The week wraps up with a 1 p.m. match against the Gators on Sunday, Oct. 16. The match against Florida will be televised on Fox SportSouth.
