Volleyball Opens SEC Season at Foster on Friday Night
9/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 15, 2011
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama volleyball team returns home to open Southeastern Conference play this weekend with matches against Arkansas and LSU. The Tide opens SEC play on Friday night against the Razorbacks with first serve at 7 p.m., CT. The week comes to a close with a 1.30 p.m., match against the Tigers on Sunday. Both matches will be played at Foster Auditorium.
VOLLEYBALL IS ON THE AIR!
Both home matches this weekend will have a live radio broadcast available on WVUA 90.7 FM and online at WVUA-FM.ua.edu. A live video webcast and live stats will also be available on RollTide.com.
CRIMSON TIDE PROMOTIONS
Friday's match against Arkansas is "Fill Foster Night." The first 500 fans through the doors will receive a free T-shirt. Fans can use their football ticket for the North Texas game for admittance into Friday's match against Arkansas and football ticket stub for admittance into Sunday's match against LSU. Saturday, the volleyball team will sign autographs from 4:30-5:15 p.m., in the quad as part of pregame to football. Alabama will accept can foods at Sunday's match as part of the "SEC Together We Can Drive."
Players to Watch
Last week, Andrea McQuaid led the Tide with 76 assists (5.85 aps), to go along with 39 digs (3.00 dps) and 25 kills (1.92 kps) in the Rocket Classic. In the final match of the tournament, McQuaid has 13 kills, 23 assists and 21 digs for her second triple-double of the season. Cristina Arenas started at the libero position in all three matches of the Rocket Classic and averaged 5.46 digs per set. Arenas, who had a career-high 28 digs against Ohio State, also had three aces against Penn.
SCOUTING THE ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
Arkansas comes to Tuscaloosa with an 8-3 record after winning all three matches of the West Point Challenge, defeating Dartmouth (3-1), Army (3-1) and NJIT (3-0) last week. Arkansas has won six of its last seven matches overall, with its only loss to No. 18 Oklahoma (3-1).
As a team, Arkansas is seventh in the SEC with a .232 hitting percentage and 13.03 kills per set. The Razorbacks lead the conference with 2.68 blocks per set and are third with 1.59 service aces per set. Arkansas is led by Kelli Stipanovich's 134 kills (3.44 kps) as the senior outside hitter has a .232 hitting percentage. Jasmine Norton adds 2.95 kills per set while Roslandy Acosta is third on the team with 2.18 kills per set. Senior Raymerily Santos has a team-high 389 assists (9.97 aps) and Christa Alvarez leads the team with 130 digs (3.33 dps).
When Alabama and Arkansas take the floor on Friday, it will mark match number 37 of the all-time series. After winning the last four matches, Arkansas holds a 29-7 advantage overall in the series. The Razorbacks won both matches by 3-1 results in 2010 and 3-2 results in 2009. UA last defeated Arkansas, 3-1, in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 16, 2008.
SCOUTING THE LSU TIGERS
LSU enters the week with a 7-3 record and will play at Mississippi on Friday night before closing the week against the Tide on Sunday. The Tigers are coming off a 1-2 week in the WKU Tournament. LSU opened with a 3-0 win over Wake Forest, before losing to Xavier (3-2) and Western Kentucky (3-1).
LSU enters SEC play ranked first in aces (75), fourth in hitting percentage (.261), fifth in kills (13.46 kps) and assists (12.38 aps), and sixth in blocks (2.30 bps) and digs (14.76 dps). Preseason All-SEC selection Desiree Elliott leads the team and is fifth in the conference with 3.61 kills per set. Elliott also ranks fifth in points (4.47 pps), sixth in blocks (1.06 bps) and ninth in hitting percentage (.332). Malorie Pardo leads the conference with 11.32 assists per set, while Meghan Mannari is the conference leader with 18 aces. Michelle Williams, who averages 3.03 kills per set, leads the SEC with 1.27 blocks per set.
Sunday will mark the 53rd meeting all-time between Bama and LSU in volleyball. The Tigers lead the series 30-22 after winning the last nine. LSU defeated the Tide in straight sets in both matches last season. The last UA win was a 3-1 decision on Oct. 8, 2006 in Tuscaloosa.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK
Alabama posted a 2-1 record in the Rocket Classic hosted by Toledo last week. The Crimson Tide posted wins over Toledo (3-1) and Penn (3-2), and lost to No. 25 Ohio State (3-1) in UA's first match of the season against a top-25 team. Andrea McQuaid posted her second triple-double of the season with 13 kills, 23 assists and 21 digs against Penn. Kayla Fitterer had 57 kills (4.38 kps) in the tournament and notched her eighth double-double of the season with 23 kills and 14 digs against Penn. Cortney Warren had a .347 hitting percentage for the three matches, recording 42 kills (3.23 kps) while adding eight blocks.
Other Notables From Last Week
Kayla Fitterer and Cortney Warren were named to the Rocket Classic All-Tournament Team. Warren, who had a career-high 20 kills against Toledo, averaged 3.23 kills per set while hitting .347 in the Rocket Classic. For the season, Warren is second on the team with 3.23 kills per set while leading the Tide with a .312 hitting percentage. Cristina Arenas made her first start of the season at the libero position against Toledo and started all three matches of the Rocket Classic. Arenas had 71 digs in the tournament to average 5.46 digs per set. Leigh Moyer posted 11 total blocks in the Rocket Classic and leads the team with 26 total blocks.
McQuaid First Alabama Player with Multiple Triple-Doubles
Andrea McQuaid recorded the first Alabama triple-double since Oct. 1, 1999, when she had 13 kills, 29 assists and 17 digs against SMU on Sept. 3. McQuaid became the first player in school history with multiple triple-doubles when she had 13 kills, 23 assists and 21 digs against Penn on Sept. 10. Since the program restarted in 1989, McQuaid's triple-double at Toledo marked the fourth in the last 23 years, becoming the first player to have a triple-double with kills, assists and digs. Shelly Adamcik (1999), Nina Foster (1994) and Jennifer Miller (1992) had triple-doubles in kills, digs and total blocks.
RILEY IN BAMA'S TOP-10 FOR CAREER ASSISTS
With 66 assists in the Rocket Classic, senior setter Stephanie Riley has 235 assists this season to bring her career total at Alabama to 1,525. She had 66 assists in the Doubletree Invitational and passed Kayla Schmidt (2009-10) for eighth all-time at Alabama. Riley now needs 99 assists to pass Kenna Milner (2001-02) for seventh all-time.
K-Fitt is a Double-Double Machine
Kayla Fitterer has reached double digits in kills in all 10 matches this season and double-digits in digs eight times. The eight double-doubles this season brings the junior outside hitter's total to 20 for her career. This season she is averaging 19.1 kills and 12.3 digs per match. She ranks third in the SEC and 16th in the country with 4.55 kills per set, while hitting .251 and averaging 2.93 digs per set.
COACH ALLEN REACHES 500 WIN PLATEAU
In his 20th season as a college head coach, first-year UA coach Ed Allen has a 6-4 record in 2011 to bring his career record to 500-187 (.728). Allen earned his 500th career victory with a 3-2 win over Penn on Sept. 10, 2011 in the Rocket Classic. In five seasons at Division I Tulsa (2006-10) he collected 133 wins, in three seasons at Division II Presbyterian College (2003-05) he had 94 wins and in 11 seasons at Division III Anderson University (1992-2002) he had 267 victories. Allen entered the season ranked 28th among active Division I coaches in career victories.
NEXT WEEK FOR THE TIDE
Following the first week of SEC play, Alabama will hit the road for a pair of conference matches at Auburn and Georgia. The Tide travels to Auburn on Friday, Sept. 23 for a 7 p.m., CT match against the Tigers. On Sunday, Alabama will travel to Athens, Ga., to battle the Georgia Bulldogs. First serve is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., CT.
