Volleyball Set for Wednesday Matchup at Auburn on ESPNU
10/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
THE MATCHUP
Alabama (16-5, 4-3 SEC) will make a quick trip down to Auburn, Ala., to take on the Auburn Tigers (9-11, 1-6 SEC) on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. CT. The match will be aired live on ESPNU.
THE TIDE ON THE AIR
Video - ESPNU (WatchESPN.com or WatchESPN app)
Melissa Lee (Play-by-Play) and Missy Whittemore (Analyst)
Audio - 90.7 FM/wvuafm.ua.edu, Audio stream at rolltide.com
SCOUTING ALABAMA
Alabama (16-5, 4-3 SEC) - Alabama will look to rebound after a tough five-set loss to Ole Miss on Sunday and win its third-straight matchup with Auburn. A potent Crimson Tide offense is led at right side by Krystal Rivers with 332 kills (4.05/set) and a .300 hitting percentage. Rivers is just as dangerous at the service line, as she leads the team and ranks second in the SEC with 32 aces (0.39/set). At the outside pin, Kat Hutson and Brittany Thomas have combined for 482 kills, with Thomas also ranking third on the team with 171 digs. Middle blockers Bruna Evangelista and Leah Lawrence are a complimentary pair, as Evangelista owns 126 kills and a team-leading .352 clip from the M2 position, while Lawrence has stuffed a team-leading 82 blocks as the M1. On defense, freshman Natalie Murison has been the team's primary libero, owning a team-leading 226 digs.
LAST TIME OUT: VOLLEYBALL FALLS TO OLE MISS IN FIVE ON SUNDAY
Alabama built a 2-1 match lead over Ole Miss on Sunday, but the Rebels fought back to win the fourth and edge out the fifth to hand the Crimson Tide its first home loss of the season. Alabama was held to a .231 team hitting percentage, opposed to Ole Miss' .311, despite holding the match advantage in kills, 69-66. Krystal Rivers led the Tide offense with 25 kills and a .346 clip, adding 14 digs for a double-double. Kat Hutson knocked in 21 kills, while Sierra Wilson set 62 assists and Bruna Evangelista stuffed three blocks. Ole Miss was led offensively by Nakeyta Clair with 17 kills and a .560 hitting percentage.
ALABAMA RANKED NO. 33 IN LATEST RPI
Through 21 matches this season, Alabama is ranked 33rd in the latest RPI, released on Monday, Oct. 20. The loss to Ole Miss dropped the Tide from 29 to 33, putting Alabama fifth among SEC teams trailing Florida (8), Kentucky (9), Texas A&M (21) and LSU (30). There are 11 matches remaining in the regular season, including Oct. 31 vs. Texas A&M and Nov. 7 at Florida. Five of the remaining 11 matches will be at home, including the season finale against Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 29.
WILSON AMONG TOP TEN IN ASSISTS
Junior setter Sierra Wilson posted a season-high 62 assists in the loss to Ole Miss, adding to an already impressive total that puts her among the nation's elite. Wilson has 938 assists this year, which leads the SEC by over 100 and ranks eighth nationally. She is one of just 14 setters to own 900 assists and her average of 11.44 per set ranks 11th nationally. Wilson isn't just the highest-ranked player in the SEC, but she is well ahead of the assists leaders in the Big 12 (Ainise Havili, Kansas, 852), ACC (Lauren Full, Virginia, 844), Big 10 (Megan Tallman, Indiana, 820) and Pac 12 (Bianca Arellano, Arizona State, 812).
2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
- Alabama received Top 25 votes for the first time in school history on Sept. 29, appearing five spots outside the Top 25 in the Week Five AVCA poll. Alabama has received votes in the poll every week since.
- Krystal Rivers was named Preseason All-SEC and earned back-to-back Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 22 and Sept. 29.
- The Tide won three tournament titles during the preseason, winning the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic on opening weekend in St. Louis, the ISTAP Collegiate Cup 2 in Montgomery, Ala., and the Crimson-White Tournament in Tuscaloosa.
- Alabama set a new Foster Auditorium volleyball attendance record vs. LSU on Sept. 28, as 1,749 fans packed in to watch the Crimson Tide defeat the Tigers in four sets. This beats the previous record of 1,670 set on Sept. 14, 2012 against LSU.
- Alabama returns nine players from last year's squad while welcoming eight newcomers.
NEXT TIME OUT: ALABAMA VS. ARKANSAS (SEC NETWORK)
On Sunday, Oct. 26, Alabama returns home to face the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-9, 5-2 SEC) live on the SEC Network at 1 p.m. CT.
