Alabama Continues SEC Slate Sunday Against Missouri at Home

Oct. 10, 2015

THIS WEEK

Alabama (7-10, 1-2 SEC) vs. Missouri (15-1, 3-0 SEC)

Sunday, Oct. 11 - 4 p.m. CT
Tuscaloosa, Ala. - Foster Auditorium
*SEC Network*

SCOUTING ALABAMA

Alabama (7-10, 1-2 SEC) - The Crimson Tide will look to rebound after two tough road losses last weekend and move back to .500 early in conference play. Junior Brittany Thomas surpassed the 200 kill mark for the season last weekend, as she leads the team with 217 (3.14/set). She is also second on the team with 188 digs (2.72/set), posting a team-leading nine double-doubles so far this year. Sophomore Kat Hutson is second on the team with 187 kills (3.46/set) and 12 service aces (0.22/set) while also adding 26 blocks from the pins. Senior Sierra Wilson leads the SEC with 794 assists (11.5/set) and remains within striking distance of the career record at Alabama, needing just 512. On defense, sophomore Natalie Murison has a team-leading 261 digs (3.78/set).

THE TIDE ON THE AIR

Sunday's match will be broadcast live on the SEC Network with Sam Gore on play-by-play and Jennifer Fowler as the analyst.

This is the second-straight home conference match broadcast on the SEC Network, as the Sept. 23 win over Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa was the first SEC Network volleyball broadcast of the season.
The SEC Network will feature Alabama eight times this season in its live coverage, with six of those coming at home.
Since the debut of the SEC Network last season, Alabama has been featured in six matches so far and has won all six.

Alabama on the SEC Network

Sept. 24, 2014 at Georgia: W, 3-1
Oct. 12, 2014 vs. South Carolina: W, 3-1
Oct. 26, 2014 vs. Arkansas: W, 3-1
Nov. 9, 2014 at South Carolina: W, 3-2
Nov. 16, 2014 vs. Georgia: W, 3-0
Sept. 23, 2015 vs. Mississippi State: W, 3-1

LAST TIME OUT: ALABAMA FALLS IN TWO SEC ROAD CONTESTS

Alabama fell in a pair of 3-1 losses to Tennessee and Kentucky in the Crimson Tide's first SEC road trip of the season. In each match, Alabama was down 2-0 and avoided a sweep with a win in the third set, but could not continue the momentum, eventually falling in the fourth. Tied at 23-23 in the fourth set against Tennessee, Alabama would hold off the Vols at match point three times looking to force a fifth, but Tennessee eventually prevailed to win 28-26. Sets two and three against Kentucky also went past the 25-point mark, with the Wildcats winning set two, 27-25, and the Tide responding to win set three, 26-24 after scoring four unanswered points with Kentucky at match point.

STANDOUTS VS. TENNESSEE/KENTUCKY

Sierra Wilson's 44 assists against Tennessee pushed her career total past the 5,000 mark, making her just the second player in program history with over 5,000 career assists. She is now just 512 shy of the school record. Wilson posted double-doubles in each match as well, including a career-high 15 digs against the Vols.
Kat Hutson stuffed a career high four blocks against Tennessee and posted her second-highest hitting percentage of the year at Kentucky, finishing the match at .357. It is the fourth time this season she has hit over .300.
Krystal Rivers totaled three aces from the service line against Tennessee, nearly matching her prior season output of four.
In addition to her team-leading 16 digs against Kentucky, Natalie Murison also added a career-best eight assists at UK
Brittany Thomas posted her ninth double-double of the season against Kentucky (12K/13D), which is just one shy of her entire season output in 2014.
Seeing extended play time in the match against Kentucky, Emily Stebbins stuffed a career-high four blocks along with eight kills

AT HOME IN THE SEC

Alabama has increased its home SEC win total every year under head coach Ed Allen. The Tide started with just three home SEC wins in 2011 before improving to four in 2012, six in 2013 and eight in 2014.
Last season, the two largest home crowds in program history came to watch a pair of SEC matches in Foster Auditorium. On Sept. 28, 2014, a then-record crowd of 1,749 were on their feet as the Crimson Tide defeated LSU in four sets. Later that season on Nov. 21, that mark was shattered as 2,169 packed into the stands to watch Alabama sweep Auburn.

WILSON CLOSING IN ON career ASSISTS RECORD

With 794 assists so far this season, senior setter Sierra Wilson now has 5,066 career assists, which is just 512 shy of Brigitte Slack's (2004-07) career record of 5,578. Wilson entered the season in third place with 4,272, trailing Jennifer Miller (1989-92) in second place by just 61. The Anaheim, Calif., native finished the opening match against Long Beach State with 38 assists and then surpassed Miller's mark the next day against Cal State Fullerton with 69 assists in the lengthy five-set victory. Against Tennessee on Oct. 2, Wilson broke the 5,000 assists mark, becoming just the second player in program history to do so.

NEXT TIME OUT: AT TEXAS A&M / LSU *SEC NETWORK*

Alabama will go back on the road next weekend for a pair of SEC matches, facing Texas A&M (9-5, 2-1 SEC) on Friday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. CT in College Station before heading to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers (7-9, 3-2 SEC) on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. CT live on the SEC Network.

University of Alabama Athletics