Alabama
Florida
Alabama Volleyball Hosts Florida Friday and South Carolina Sunday
10/19/2017 11:12:00 AM | Volleyball
THIS WEEKEND
Alabama (14-7, 2-5 SEC) vs. #4 Florida (14-1, 6-1 SEC)
Friday, Oct. 20 – 7 p.m. CT
Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Foster Auditorium
Alabama (14-7, 2-5 SEC) vs. South Carolina (10-9, 3-4 SEC)
Sunday, Oct. 22 – 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Foster Auditorium
SCOUTING ALABAMA
- Alabama is 14-7 overall this season and 2-5 in Southeastern Conference play. Last time out, Alabama fell in four sets on the road at LSU Sunday.
- The Tide is ranked No. 47 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings, with six matches remaining against higher-ranked opponents including Florida (3), Kentucky (5), Auburn (31), Missouri (41), Texas A&M (27) and LSU (32).
- Senior Leah Lawrence currently leads the offense with 204 kills and a .345 hitting percentage, followed closely in kills by freshman Christine Jarman's 196. Lawrence also leads the team with 25 service aces and 89 blocks. Freshman setter Meghan Neelon has 801 assists, averaging 10.1 per set, and junior libero Quincey Gary leads the defense with 365 digs.
- Seven of Alabama's remaining 11 matches will be played at home. Under head coach Ed Allen, the Tide is 70-28 (.714) all-time in Foster Auditorium, including a 7-1 record this season.
- Six of Alabama's remaining 11 matches will be broadcast on the SEC Network, including a string of five-straight starting on Sunday vs. South Carolina. Since the network's introduction in 2014, the Tide has been featured in 22 matches, winning 15 of them with an 11-3 mark at home and 4-4 mark on the road.
LAST WEEK: ALABAMA DEFEATS ALABAMA STATE, FALLS TO LSU
- Alabama 3, Alabama State 1: With a raucous crowd packing Lockhart Gymnasium, Alabama dropped the opening set to Alabama State, 21-25, but rebounded with wins in sets two, three and four by scores of 25-22, 25-13 and 25-21, respectively. Sophomore Mahalia Swink led the offense with 15 kills while senior Leah Lawrence and sophomore Ginger Perinar were also in double figures with 10 each. Freshman Meghan Neelon was two digs shy of a double-double, earning 42 assists and eight digs. Senior Natalie Murison tallied a season-high three aces from the service line and junior Quincey Gary led the defense with 16 digs.
- LSU 3, Alabama 1: Alabama won the opening frame, 25-22, but dropped the next three to LSU by scores of 22-25, 25-27 and 24-26. The Tide had three players with double-digit kills, led by sophomore Ginger Perinar with 15. Perinar now has 12 or more kills in six of the team's seven SEC matches this season. Sophomore Mahalia Swink was second on the team with 12 kills, adding 12 digs for her first double-double. Freshman Meghan Neelon was one dig shy from her own double-double, finishing the match with 40 assists and nine digs.
ALABAMA IN THE SEC RANKINGS (TOP FIVE)
Team (Overall)
- 4th - Digs (1,240, 15.70/set)
- 4th - Blocks (201, 2.54/set)
- 5th - Aces (104, 1.32/set)
Individual (Overall)
- 3rd - Digs - Quincey Gary (365, 4.62/set)
- 5th - Assists - Meghan Neelon (801, 10.14/set)
Team (SEC Only)
- 3rd - Digs (430, 15.36/set)
Individual (SEC Only)
- 3rd - Digs - Quincey Gary (125, 4.46/set)
- 5th - Assists - Meghan Neelon (290, 10.36/set)
MEGHAN NEELON APPROACHING TOP-FIVE FRESHMAN MARK
Freshman setter Meghan Neelon has 801 assists through 79 sets played this season, averaging 10.1 per set. With 11 matches remaining on the schedule, Neelon has the opportunity to post one of the top five highest assist totals by a Crimson Tide freshman in program history. Currently, she is 195 shy of teammate Shannon Mikesky's fifth-place freshman total of 996 from last season.
Alabama Freshman Assist Leaders
- Jennifer Miller (1989) - 1,401
- Brigitte Slack (2004) - 1,362
- Sierra Wilson (2012) - 1,293
- Allison Lange (1997) - 1,270
- Shannon Mikesky (2016) - 996
QUINCEY GARY POSTING CAREER-BEST DIG NUMBERS AT LIBERO
In her first full season as the team's libero, junior Quincey Gary is quickly posting career dig numbers from the back row. She currently leads the team and ranks third in the SEC with 365 digs, averaging 4.62 per set. The total is already a career best for Gary and puts her just 56 shy of cracking Alabama's single-season top 10. The highest single-season dig total under current head coach Ed Allen came two years ago from current senior Natalie Murison, who earned 469 as a sophomore in 2015. That mark currently ranks sixth in program history.
ALABAMA VOLLEYBALL TO APPEAR SIX MORE TIMES ON SEC NETWORK
Six of Alabama's remaining 11 matches are slated to broadcast live on the SEC Network, including a string of five-straight starting on Sunday vs. South Carolina.
- Sunday, Oct. 22 vs. South Carolina - 2 p.m. CT
- Friday, Oct. 27 at Mississippi State - 6 p.m. CT
- Wednesday, Nov. 1 at Auburn - 7 p.m. CT
- Sunday, Nov. 5 vs. Georgia - Noon CT
- Wednesday, Nov. 8 vs. Kentucky - 7 p.m. CT
- Wednesday, Nov. 22 at Missouri - 5 p.m. CT
ALABAMA VOLLEYBALL SHINES ON SEC NETWORK
Since the launch of the SEC Network during the 2014 season, Alabama has been featured in 22 matches, winning 15 of them with an 11-3 mark at home and 4-4 mark on the road.
- 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
- Oct. 11, 2015 vs. Missouri: W, 3-2
- Oct. 18, 2015 at LSU: W, 3-2
- Oct. 25, 2015 vs. Georgia: W, 3-0
- Oct. 28, 2015 at Missouri: L, 2-3
- Nov. 1, 2015 at Arkansas: W, 3-2
- Nov. 8, 2015 vs. South Carolina: W, 3-1
- Nov. 15, 2015 vs. Auburn: W, 3-0
- Nov. 25, 2015 vs. Ole Miss: L, 1-3
- Sept. 23, 2016 vs. Texas A&M: W, 3-2
- Sept. 25, 2016 vs. Florida: L, 0-3
- Oct. 2, 2016 at Mississippi State: L, 2-3
- Oct. 28, 2016 vs. Tennessee: L, 0-3
- Nov. 6, 2016 vs. Arkansas: W, 3-1
- Nov. 13, 2016 at Florida: L, 0-3
- Sept. 22, 2017 at Georgia: L, 0-3
- Sept. 27, 2017 vs. Arkansas: W, 3-2
UP NEXT
Alabama plays just one match next week, making the quick trip to Starkville, Miss. to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs (9-14, 0-8 SEC) on Friday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. CT live on the SEC Network.
