Pictured: Georgia MH Ann Dylla (UGA Photo)

Georgia Volleyball Sweeps Mercer, 3-0; Plays Again Tonight

ATLANTA -- The Georgia volleyball team posted a 3-0 sweep over Mercer on Saturday morning in the Georgia Tech Regency Suites Invitational at O'Keefe Gymnasium.

The Bulldogs (1-1) return to action again Saturday afternoon with their final match in the tournament at 4:30 p.m. ET against Austin Peay. The Governors (1-0) also play the host Yellow Jackets at 12:30 p.m. prior to the meeting with the Bulldogs.

Georgia posted the sweep of Mercer (0-2) with set scores 25-19, 25-16 and 25-13 while hitting at a .280 clip as a team. In addition to the strong offensive showing, the Bulldog defense recorded 9.0 blocks and limited Mercer to .043 hitting percentage. Georgia improves to 6-0 all-time against Mercer with the win.

"Today is going to be a grind for us," Georgia head coach Joel McCartney said. "We have a tough schedule playing the early morning match after playing an epic battle against Georgia Tech last night. We get a quick break during the next match of the tournament and then we are right back on the court. All of this feels like two-a-days in the preseason. It feels like that grind. We've prepared our student-athletes and they are focusing on that. They are stepping away right now to get their minds off of volleyball during the break so they can get prepared to come back and put their minds back on volleyball. I was really pleased with the win this morning. I know that Mercer University was motivated to get a win against an in-state school, so they played to that effort level for sure, but I was really pleased with how our team responded to the challenge."

Sophomore middle hitter Ann Dylla and junior outside hitter Erika Clark guided the Georgia attack with nine kills apiece. Dylla hit at a .600 clip and had five blocks while Clark hit .320 and added two aces and 10 digs. Junior middle hitter Valentina Gonzalez led the team with four aces and sophomore libero Carla Tietz provided a match-best 13 digs.

"I put out a challenge to Ann Dylla, who just didn't have very good numbers last night, to protect herself in what she's doing and to take the shots when we are in systems and to keep it on them when we are out of systems. The evidence of that commitment is that she hit .600 with nine kills and no errors. She for sure protected herself, and in doing so, protected our team."

In the first set, Mercer opened on a 4-0 run only to be answered by a 5-0 run by Georgia. After the Bears tied it on the next point, the Bulldogs went back ahead and would hold on to the lead throughout the remainder of the set. The six-point margin at the end of the set at 25-19 was Georgia's largest lead in a frame that saw sophomore middle hitter Ann Dylla lead the Bulldogs with four kills. UGA limited Mercer to a -.032 hitting percentage in the set.

The second set was closely contest early on as the two teams battled to a 10-10 tie, but Georgia took control from there going on a 9-1 run to open an eight-point advantage at 19-11 en route to taking the set by nine at 25-16. Dylla and Clark paced the Bulldogs with four kills each in the set as Georgia hit .342 as a team. UGA again limited Mercer's offensive effort by limiting the Bears to a .088 clip.

In the third set, the Bulldogs already led by four at 8-4 when a seven-point run extended the advantage to 11 at 15-4. Clark was on serve for the seven point run that included two aces. The Bulldogs lead by as many as 12 including at the final margin of the set at 25-13.

Also of note for Georgia, redshirt freshman Michele Simmons and true freshman Lauren Hutchinson made their first collegiate appearances as Bulldogs in the third set. Simmons finished with the match with two kills and a block assist while Hutchinson also added a block assist.

"We again had big contributions from a lot of players, but it is fun to get Michele Simmons and Lauren Hutchinson their first taste of college volleyball in this match. The other freshmen, Adria Fecteau and Nicole Choi, and what they are doing with our ball control is helping so much."

After Georgia concludes play in the Regency Suites Invitational Saturday evening, the Bulldogs will returns to Athens to open the home portion of their schedule by hosting the Georgia Dawgs Invitational Sept. 4-5 at the Ramsey Center. Visiting teams for the tournament include Duke, South Alabama and Tennessee State.

Georgia Volleyball Posts Another Sweep Against Austin Peay

ATLANTA -- The Georgia volleyball posted its second sweep of the day by defeating Austin Peay, 3-0, on Saturday evening in the Georgia Tech Regency Suites Invitational at O'Keefe Gymnasium.

The Bulldogs posted the sweep over the Governors (1-2) with set scores of 25-14, 25-19 and 25-23. Earlier in the day, the Bulldogs swept the Mercer Bears 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-13), and the two victories moved Georgia's record to 2-1 after the opening weekend of the 2009 season.

"It's pretty satisfying to come away with two solid wins today after losing such an emotional match last night," Georgia head coach Joel McCartney said. "We played fluid ball this morning and our offense kicked into a higher gear with some nice individual performances. Kathleen Gates is finding the right hitter at the right time, and her leadership is so instrumental in building up the confidence of our attack. This afternoon we executed our blocking system as well as I've seen from this team and our offense continued to click. We hit a rough spot early in the third set and started to wear down emotionally. After a regroup and a little patience, we did a great job of getting back in that set and closing the match."

Against Austin Peay, Georgia posted a .310 hitting percentage led by junior outside hitter Simone May's 11 kills on a .500 clip. May's leading effort was supported by junior outside hitter Erika Clark's nine kills on a .200 hitting percentage and freshman outside hitter Briana Bahr's eight kills at a .500 mark. The Bulldogs held the Governors to a .031 hitting percentage for the match.

"It has been a long time coming for Simone," McCartney stated. "She has invested so much time and energy to her game and our program. It was really special to see such a flawless performance from her this afternoon. She is a very special person and has paid plenty of dues to get to this point."

After the first weekend of the season, Georgia is being paced offensively by the tune of 9.64 assists per set from sophomore setter and team captain Kathleen Gates. The Bulldogs are hitting .270 as a team and are being led in kills by Clark's 34 while May has contributed 27 kills and Bahr has provided another 25 kills.

Defensively at the end of the three-match opening weekend, Georgia has limited its opponents to a .151 hitting percentage and has tallied 25.0 blocks led by sophomore middle hitter Ann Dylla's 15 stops. Sophomore libero Carla Tietz leads the team in digs with 3.00 per set.

"On the weekend there were a lot of solid performances, but overall Erika Clark's steady play was what stood out most in my mind," McCartney said. "We are going to be able to continue making great progress with this team if we sustain this kind of energy in our play.

"I want to make sure I thank the great group of fans that traveled down to support us," McCartney added. "Our Volleyholics made an absolute difference in helping us get into the match Friday and I only wish we could have won it for them."

Play in the Regency Suites Invitational will conclude with Mercer (0-2) facing Georgia Tech (2-0) tonight at 7 p.m. Following the conclusion of that match an all-tournament team will be announced.

Up next, Georgia returns to Athens to open the home portion of its schedule by hosting the Georgia Dawgs Invitational Sept. 4-5 at the Ramsey Center. Visiting teams for the tournament include Duke, South Alabama and Tennessee State.

Tiger Volleyball Defeats UAB And Alabama A&M; Wins War Eagle Invite

AUBURN, Ala. -- The Auburn volleyball team improved to 3-0 on the season as it topped UAB and Alabama A&M Saturday in the Student Activities Center on day two of the War Eagle Invitational. The Tigers won the invitational title, having never lost a set.

Auburn swept UAB in the first match (25-22, 25-18, 25-22) and closed out the tournament with the sweep over Alabama A&M (25-17, 25-12, 25-9).

“I thought it was a great start for this team,” Wade Benson, head volleyball coach, said. “Our upperclassmen played solid and our freshmen were pretty sound. We played a great tournament, but the team needs to keep it all in perspective and continue to improve.

“We’re not looking for wins and losses, but for execution. Wins will come with execution.”

The Tigers finished the tournament hitting .410 and held their opponents to just a .068 attack percentage.

Freshman Katherine Culwell was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, while juniors Lauren Mellor and Morgan Johns received all-tournament honors.

“I’m really happy for this team because we wanted to come out and make a name for ourselves,” Culwell said. “We all did our jobs this weekend of getting off to a good season.”

Making the all-tournament team from UAB was Andrea Lalic and Sam Serley. Representing Alabama A&M was Clarissa Moore and Rose Corneille.

Auburn returns to the court Wednesday, Sept. 2., when it hosts Troy. The match is set for 7 p.m. at the Student Activities Center.

Match One: UAB

Auburn opened up set one with a 5-1 run featured by two kills from Johns, but UAB brought it within three at the 10-7 mark on a block by Patty Paniagua and Sam Serley. Sparked by kills from Johns and junior Alyssa Davis, the Tigers pushed to take the 16-9 lead. The Blazers made a run to bring the score within two, but a handful of errors helped Auburn win the set, 25-22.

The Tigers put on a strong attacking front in the second set, hitting .581 percent with 19 kills on 31 attempts and just one error. The teams kept the score close, but at the 12-9 mark, Auburn went on a 6-2 run and pulled away with the 25-18 win.

The two squads went back and forth in the third set, seeing the Blazers hold the lead for most of the match. At the 16-16 mark, a UAB service error and a kill by Johns turned the set around for the Tigers who pushed on to win the set 25-22.

Johns led all attackers with 13 kills and finished with a .400 hitting percentage. Sophomore Kelly Fidero recorded a match-high .583 hitting percentage with seven kills on 12 attempts with no errors.

Setter Christina Solverson tallied the team’s first double-double of the season with a match-best 26 assists and 10 digs. Culwell led the team with 14 digs.

The Blazers were led by Andrea Lalic, who finished with 10 kills and two blocks. Alison Woods had 19 assists and libero Heather Thomas led the team with 13 digs.

Match Two: Alabama A&M

A kill from freshman Courtney McDonald gave Auburn its biggest lead in the early parts of set one, going up 8-4. The Tigers kept the lead throughout the set and a pair of kills from Fidero locked the win for Auburn, who went on to win 25-17.

The Tigers went on a 7-2 run to open the second set, highlighted by three kills from freshman Sarah Bullock. Another big run late in the set helped Auburn sail to a 25-12 victory, seeing Bullock finish with seven kills in the set.

Auburn began set three on an 11-2 run and never looked back, finishing the match with a 25-9 win.

Johns tallied a match-high 12 kills in the win with a .600 attack percentage. Culwell added 10 kills, while Solverson finished with 30 assists and junior libero Liz Crouch had 18 digs.

LSU Volleyball Takes Down Denver

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The LSU volleyball team outlasted Denver 3-2 [25-21, 28-30, 25-22, 24-26, 15-10] Saturday at the Shamrock Invitational inside the Joyce Center on the Notre Dame campus.

The Tigers (1-1) saved its best effort for the deciding set connecting for a .304 hitting percentage and posting an impressive 81 percent sideout efficiency after losing control a 22-12 lead in set four.

“We couldn’t find a rhythm until the fifth set,” head coach Fran Flory said. “Our team showed maturity because we should have closed the match out. Denver mixed some things up and played extremely hard. I’m proud of our team for coming through and getting back to who we are when it counted most.”

A pair of Lauren DeGirolamo kills along with spikes from Brittnee Cooper and Marina Skender set the tone as LSU grabbed a quick 8-4 edge.

The Tigers surged ahead 12-6 after back-to-back Brittney Johnson and Michele Williams blocks. Denver (0-2) got within four points twice before a Cooper kill closed out the 15-10 win.

LSU was playing its second consecutive match without starting setter Sam Dabbs. Johnson provided an all-around effort, finishing one kill and one dig shy of her first career double-double. The Baton Rouge native distributed 36 assists and knocked nine kills on a .421 hitting percentage. She also tallied nine digs and five blocks.

Cooper and Skender contributed double-doubles. Cooper recorded 12 kills and 12 blocks for her sixth career-double, while Skender popped 10 kills and reeled in 22 digs. Skender enters Sunday’s match against Notre Dame five digs away from becoming the fourth player in program history to join the 1,000 kills-1,000 digs club.

Williams smacked 12 kills and racked up a career-best nine blocks to fall just short of her first career double-double. Lauren Waclawczyk corralled a career-high 16 digs.

“Michele continues to make plays and grind out points when we need them the most,” Flory said. “She probably has the best work ethic on the team and has had an outstanding tournament so far.”

LSU built four-point leads on four separate occasions during the opening frame before a 6-2 Denver spurt evened the tally at 16-16.

After four ties and a pair of lead changes, the Tigers turned to their defense to score five of the final six points. LSU forced a trio of Pioneer hitting errors and Cooper teamed with Angela Bensend for a critical block as the Tigers took a 25-21 victory.

Down 21-16 in the second set, LSU charged back with an 8-3 run. The Tigers saved three set points on Williams’ serve and pulled even at 24-24 on a Williams back row kill. At 28-28, Denver regrouped to pick up an ace and a block for the 30-28 win.

LSU used another late game surge in the third set and weren’t to be denied. Cooper cranked three kills and added a block, while Williams sprinkled in an ace and a block of her own to turn a 19-18 deficit into a 25-22 triumph to give the Tigers a 2-1 edge.

That momentum carried over into set four as LSU constructed a 22-12 lead after forcing Denver into 10 attack errors. The Pioneers charged back to take the set 26-24 behind Jordan Raines and Emmy Davidsmeyer, who finished with 19 and 18 kills, respectively

LSU wraps up the Shamrock Invitational Sunday against host Notre Dame. First serve is on-tap for noon CT. Live stats will be available on LSUsports.net. Fans also can follow in-game updates of Tiger volleyball on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lsuvolleyball

“Notre Dame has a great environment and is a tough place to play,” Flory said. “They are in midseason form when the rest of us are trying to find our form. It’s going to be a challenge, and we’re going to have to be a lot better in our system to beat them tomorrow.”

FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS THROUGH CAMPUS USA CREDIT UNION INVITATIONAL; DOWNS COLORADO

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Campus USA Credit Union Invitational Most Valuable Player Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) recorded a match-high 15 kills on .684 hitting with 18 assists and seven digs Saturday to pilot the No. 8/9 Florida volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-15) victory against Big XII Conference foe Colorado in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

The Gators open their season 2-0 for the sixth consecutive year and improve to 16-0 all-time in the history of the Campus USA Credit Union Invitational.

Florida hit .411 in the match and demonstrated a strong defensive effort, out-digging the Buffaloes (1-1) 42-19. Colorado made a number of adjustments during the course of the match, but the Gators were able to respond to post the 3-0 sweep.

“Colorado made a lot of changes in the match offensively,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said. “They made a lot of adjustments - they changed their offense, switched from a 6-2 to a 5-1 and our players were able to make the necessary adjustments on the court without having to call a timeout. Our players just never lost a beat tonight.”

Murphy was one of three Gators to tally double-figure kills in the match. Fellow All-Tournament Team members Kristy Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.) and Colleen Ward (Naperville, Ill.) also reached double-digits in kills.

Murphy finished the weekend with 27 kills (4.50 k/s) on .452 hitting with 34 assists for a team-high 31 points in the two matches combined. Murphy had two service aces in Saturday night’s match.

“I thought that we played with a lot of energy tonight,” Murphy said. “Last night, we had a little bit of nerves, but tonight we played with a lot more consistency.”

Ward charted her first collegiate double-double with 12 kills on .455 hitting and a career-high 11 digs, while Jaeckel registered 10 kills and six digs. Sophomore right-side/middle blocker Lauren Bledsoe (Long Beach, Calif.) added six kills on .625 hitting.

Senior libero Elyse Cusack (Melrose, Fla.) tied Ward with a match-high 11 digs. Cusack also dished out eight assists in the secondary-setter role, while junior setter Brynja Rodgers (Iowa City, Iowa) had a match-high 19 assists.

Colorado took an early 7-4 advantage to begin the opening set before back-to-back kills by Murphy and Jaeckel brought the Gators to within one, 7-6. A put-down by Bledsoe knotted the score at 8-8 and, after another tie, Anderson served an ace to spark a 3-0 scoring run by Florida that put it ahead 12-9 heading into a Colorado timeout.

With Florida leading 14-12, the Buffaloes committed a service error and then Murphy notched two consecutive kills to extend the Gators’ advantage to five, 17-12. Florida kept rolling to a 24-20 lead after a Murphy kill before a put-down by Ward closed out the 25-20 first-set victory.

The two teams battled evenly to begin the second set before Florida took an 8-5 advantage on a kill by Bledsoe. Back-to-back put-downs by Jaeckel and Murphy moved the Gators in front by five, 13-8. Colorado rallied with a 6-1 run to force a 14-all tie. A CU service error and a Murphy ace put Florida back in front at 16-14 and the Gators rolled to a 21-18 advantage leading into a Colorado timeout. Florida closed out a 25-22 win in the second set.

Florida broke an early gridlock in the third set when Ward recorded a kill and followed with a service ace to put the Gators in front 9-6. UF kept adding to its lead and used back-to-back put-downs by Ward to go up 15-9 heading into a media timeout. Before the next timeout, Murphy had two kills and the Buffs committed an attack error to extend Florida’s advantage to 18-11. The Gators closed out the 25-15 third-set victory with three consecutive kills, the last by Murphy off of a Rodgers set.

Colorado (1-1) was led by Becca Fogle’s team-high 10 kills and three digs. All-Tournament Team member Kaitlyn Burkett had five kills on .714 hitting with 11 assists and three digs.

The Gators improve to 4-0 all-time vs. Colorado and 36-14 all-time against members in the current alignment of the Big XII Conference.

Florida returns to action on Monday when it plays host to intra-state rival Florida State. The Gators will be looking for their 18th consecutive win against the Seminoles. Opening serve in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the match will be carried live on Sun Sports with Larry Vettel and Missy Whittemore and WRUF-AM 850 with Tom Collett.

RAZORBACKS DOWN GSU, 1-2 TO OPEN SEASON

FT. WORTH, Texas – The University of Arkansas volleyball team played to a Saturday split in tournament action at the TCU Invitational in Ft. Worth, Texas, Saturday.

Arkansas (1-2) split Saturday’s tournament play falling in the first contest to Loyola Marymount (1-1) in three and defeating Grambling State (0-3) in three sets, 25-11, 25-9, 25-15.

“It was definitely a very good weekend for us,” said Arkansas head coach Robert Pulliza. “It might not show in the win-loss column but we’ve been focusing on performance and when we break down the numbers we made forward progress. We travel tonight and have a full day of rest on Sunday. We want to get in a good day of practice Monday and get ready for Tulsa on Tuesday.”

The afternoon match saw Arkansas dominate the Lady Tigers from the first serve of the opening set. Arkansas out-hit GSU .430-negative .012. Paced by 11 kills from sophomore Kelli Stipanovich, Arkansas’ balanced attack included seven kills from Jasmine Norton, Amanda Anderson and Kristin Seaton.

Arkansas got 11 digs from sophomore Phoebe Bautista and five blocks from Anderson in the win.

For the weekend, Arkansas was paced by Norton and Stipanovich with 32 kills each. Anderson added 30, hit a team-leading .436 and had 12 blocks. Bautista had a team-high 49 digs followed by 27 from Norton and 21 from setter Lindsay Scanlan.

In the first set, Arkansas and Grambling State were tied at four when the Razorbacks made their move. Arkansas went on a seven-point run that forced the Lady Tigers to burn both timeouts to try and halt the scoring. But the Razorbacks continued the dominating play closing the set with a 9-4 run winning 25-11. Arkansas hit a season-best .520 for the set with five kills from Stipanovich and four kills from Norton.

The Razorback defense held GSU to a .048 hitting percentage with only six kills for the frame.

Arkansas didn’t waste any time in the second set either running out to a 10-3 lead as GSU called a timeout. Arkansas had six kills and was hitting .364 in the set at that point, holding GSU to one kill, one error and a zero hitting percent.

By the mid-point of the second set, Pulliza had cleared the bench and everyone had played. Freshman setter Cassie Clarke and freshman defensive specialist Katelyn McCarthy, both Arkansas natives, both saw significant minutes.

The second set saw the teams tied at two when Arkansas exploded to close the set with a 23-7 run in a nearly flawless performance. Arkansas hit .304 in the set with 10 kills and was hitting .417 for the match.

GSU was much better in the third set limiting their unforced errors and taking advantage of Razorback miscues to keep the score close through the first 10 points of the stanza. The Razorbacks were able to regain their rhythm rattling off points on kills from Kendall Cleveland, Anderson and Stipanovich quickly taking the 15-11 lead and not looking back.

The Razorbacks were sluggish in warm-ups and it carried over to the first set as Arkansas fell, 16-25, to LMU in the early morning contest. The Razorbacks hit just .194 and committed 11 unforced errors.

Anderson paced Arkansas with four kills and a .500 hitting percentage but the Razorbacks were out-hit and out-dug in the set.

LMU’s tough serve continued to keep Arkansas off balance in the second despite a better effort by the Razorbacks. Arkansas battled its own serving demons giving away three points on service errors as the unforced errors continued to mount.

Arkansas showed a lot of fight in the third set. The final set was back-and-forth until LMU made a run to close the match with the win. The third set had six ties and a lead change but Arkansas couldn’t steal the win.

Anderson led the Razorbacks with 10 kills and a .600 hitting percentage but Arkansas was out-hit .382-.165 in the loss.

The Razorbacks open at home hosting Texas-Arlington Tuesday at 7 p.m.

For more information regarding Razorback volleyball or University of Arkansas athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

No. 21 Wildcats Capture Kentucky Classic Crown

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Junior Sarah Mendoza was named the Kentucky Classic’s most valuable player after leading No. 21 Kentucky to a 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-13) sweep of Florida International to cap off UK’s home tournament Saturday evening.

Mendoza tallied a season-high 18 kills on the evening in helping the Wildcats remain perfect at 3-0 on the young season.

“This tournament was a really good win for us,” said Kentucky coach Craig Skinner. “The most important thing I thought for us was that we improved each and every match. By the time the third match rolled around we were playing at a very high level.”

The Wildcats put on another impressive performance offensively registering 48 kills on a .280 collective attacking percentage. Mendoza paved the way in kills, but sophomore Becky Pavan also had an incredible night with 11 kills on .647 hitting.

Senior Sarah Rumely continued to distribute the ball among all UK attackers as seven Wildcats registered a kill, with two in double-digits. Rumely totaled 35 assists and also led the way with four blocks on the night.

Senior BriAnne Sauer led the defensive effort with a team-high 14 digs. Freshman Stephanie Klefot showed prowess from the back row as she contributed nine digs and was also a force serving the ball.

UK’s defense was stifling holding Florida International to just .095 hitting and turning back nine Golden Panther attacks. UK scooped up 53 digs on the night to show balance defensively.

The Wildcats powered their way to a 25-22 opening set victory, despite a late rally from Florida International who extended the set by rattling off seven consecutive set-points. Mendoza and Pavan each had six kills in the frame.

In the second set, UK jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Mendoza once again led the way with six kills in the stanza with Rumely and Pavan contributing three apiece.

Out of the break, Kentucky came back striking on all cylinders as they hit a match-high .367 in the frame behind six more kills from Mendoza.

Junior Lauren Rapp and Pavan joined Mendoza on the All-Tournament team. Kentucky returns to action Sept. 4 at the Indiana Adidas Classic. UK will face Murray State, Indiana and UT-Martin in Bloomington next weekend.

UK Volleyball Sweeps Western Carolina

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The No. 21 Kentucky volleyball team rolled to a 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-11) sweep over Western Carolina in the Kentucky Classic morning session Saturday.

Kentucky (2-0) had another tremendous offensive output posting a second consecutive match of an above .270 hitting percentage. The Wildcats hit at a torrid percentage of .363 in the victory. Junior Sarah Mendoza led seven players with two or more kills as the Winter Park, Fla., native totaled 10 on the day. Junior Lauren Rapp and sophomore Becky Pavan each tallied nine.

Senior Sarah Rumely had a double-double effort with 33 assists and a team-high 10 digs. Junior Laura Stokowski also notched 10 digs, while Pavan led the way with five blocks at the net.

The Wildcats were impressive defensively holding Western Carolina (0-2) to just 20 kills on a .011 attack percentage.

Kentucky got things rolling early with a 25-14 opening set victory. Mendoza and Rapp each had four kills in the opening frame while UK hit at a .281 rate. Rumely had 11 assists and five scoops in the stanza.

In the second set Pavan caught fire with five kills to guide UK to a .519 attacking percentage in a 25-17 set win. Pavan was a perfect 5-for-5 on her attempts in the frame and also paced the defensive performance with three block assists.

To finish things off, UK dominated the third set by the tune of 25-11. Kentucky held Western Carolina to a .000 hitting percentage while they posted .312 and 13 kills. Mendoza led the way with four kills, but six UK players earned at least one hammer.

The Wildcats return to the court later this afternoon with a showdown against Florida International who is also undefeated in the Kentucky Classic. The Golden Panthers needed five sets to shake Northwestern, but prevailed to keep their record perfect.

Western Carolina and Northwestern will play first in the evening session beginning at 5 p.m. UK and FIU follow that contest.

Complete coverage of the Kentucky Classic can be found at UKathletics.com including live stats, video feed and recaps following the day’s events.

Gamecocks Capture Big Orange Bash Title With 3-1 Win Over Winthrop

CLEMSON, S.C. -- The Carolina Gamecocks captured their third straight preseason tournament title with a 3-1 win over Winthrop, 29-27, 21-25, 25-11, 25-15, in the Big Orange Bash on Saturday afternoon at Jervey Gymnasium.

Senior Ivana Kujundzic and junior Hannah Lawing kept their double-double streaks alive, with Kujundzic leading the team with 15 kills and adding 12 digs. Lawing contributed 14 kills and 18 digs. Senior Sarah Cline led all players with 20 digs. Senior Bridget Denson-Dorman had 40 assist and six kills. Sophomore Teresa Stenlund just missed her first double-figure kill night with nine kills. Kelley Taylor's 14 kills led Winthrop (0-3), while Kaley Viola had 10 kills and 10 digs. Kelsey Hall and Ginnie Tally both added 15 digs, while Kelsey Harrison posted 11 digs.

"I was real proud of the way we competed and figured out ways to win this weekend," said Gamecock head coach Ben Somera. "The play wasn't always smooth, but we found ways to get through the rough spots and maintain our composure and focus at the most crucial times. I also feel really good about the way we ended the match. It is not easy to play three in-state rivals in one weekend. Each point was very emotional. It was nice to watch us acclimate to the intensity, settle in and play really solid volleyball to end the weekend."

In the first, South Carolina (3-0) took a 6-4 lead behind three Kujundzic kills and a Megan Laughlin smash on an overpass. The Eagles came back to take a 12-10 lead after a four- point run included kills from Viola and Taylor. The Gamecocks retook the lead at 17-14 and tried to hang on. A solo block from sophomore Tory Anderson put the Gamecocks at set point, 24-22. A Winthrop dump by the setter Hall and a block from Viola and Sara Felts extended the frame. The Gamecocks kept getting to set point but couldn't capitalize till after Lawing's back-row tip gave Denson-Dorman a chance to wrap it with her fourth kill on the set dump. Lawing had five of the 19 kills, while Kujundzic matched Denson- Dorman with four kills. Lawing also had eight digs while Cline had seven.

Winthrop came back from an 8-4 deficit to take a 17-14 lead in the second set. A three-point run made it 21-17, with all three kills coming on tips. The Eagles stayed ahead with two more tips before finishing off the set, 25-21, on Felts' kill. Winthrop held South Carolina to a .056 hitting percentage, with the Eagles' Taylor getting six kills in the frame.

The Gamecocks got the advantage in the third at 11-7 after a three-point run bookended by kills by Lawing and Kujundzic. The lead grew to 15-9 after another Denson-Dorman dump, forcing Winthrop to use its second timeout. But that did not slow the Gamecocks, as they took 10 of the final 12 points to take the 25-11 set three win. The Gamecocks hit .321 in the set while holding Winthrop to a -.034 mark.

The Garnet and Black took a 6-1 advantage in the fourth behind a couple of Stenlund kills. The run finally ended at nine when Taylor got a kill off the block. But South Carolina's dominance continued, getting the lead to 20-7 at one point. Anderson ended the match with a kill at 25-15. In the final set, redshirt freshman Olivia Ryder got her first career kill, while redshirt freshman Lindsey Roy had four digs during her debut. The Gamecocks hit .353 in the final set.

The Gamecocks had advantages in every statistical category, including a .247 to .118 difference in hitting percentage.

Kujundzic earned tournament MVP accolades, while Cline and Lawing joined her on the all-tournament team. The tourney win is the team's third consecutive, as it won the Art Carmichael Invitational at Rhode Island and the Carolina Challenge in 2008. Clemson finished second, taking a four-set decision from College of Charleston in the final match of the event.

South Carolina hosts the 2009 Gamecock Invitational next weekend at the Volleyball Competition Facility, when Eastern Kentucky, Coastal Carolina and UNC Greensboro come to town. The tournament starts when the Gamecocks and Colonels meet at 10 a.m. EDT on Friday.

South Carolina Outlasts College of Charleston in Five-Set Affair

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Another hard-fought five-set match went the Gamecocks way, as South Carolina outlasted College of Charleston in a five-set affair, taking the 22- 25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22, 15-10 victory in the squads' second match of the Big Orange Bash at Jervey Gymnasium.

Three Gamecocks (2-0) turned in double-doubles for the second-consecutive match, as seniors Ivana Kujundzic and Bridget Denson-Dorman joined junior Hannah Lawing with the honors. Kujundzic led all players with 23 kills while also making 15 digs. Denson-Dorman turned in her second 50-assist night of the year, hitting the mark exactly while making 17 digs. Lawing added 12 kills and 15 digs, while senior Sarah Cline topped the Gamecocks with 18 digs. Sophomore Teresa Stenlund matched her career high with nine kills and led everyone with a .643 hitting percentage. College of Charleston (1-1) was led by Emily Sawin's double-double with 12 kills and 14 digs. Cole Dawley had 47 assists and 19 digs, while Paige Johnson tied her for match-best honors with her 19 digs. Ginny Phillips and Sarah Havel both added 11 kills, while Kelly Kolich had 10 kills off the bench.

Kills from Laughlin, Stenlund and Kujundzic early in the first gave the Gamecocks a 7-4 lead, but Charleston came back with a five-point run to go up 10-8. After a Meredith Moorhead kill, Lawing and Laughlin got the first of two blocks in the set to tie it again at 11-11. But the Cougars got kills from Phillips and Elyse Chubb to take a two-point advantage and cause a Carolina timeout. Chubb made it a three-point string with another kill, but the Gamecocks responded, taking five of the next seven points to tie it at 17-17 and force a Charleston timeout. The break helped, as the Cougars got three straight points and make the Gamecocks use their final timeout of the set down 20-17. After both teams got consecutive points, the squads traded sideouts, with a block error on South Carolina ending the frame at 25-22. The Cougars hit .316 to take the set, with Phillips getting seven kills.

South Carolina came out in the second and played much more focused from the start, getting a 7-1 advantage thanks in part to two Moorhead kills and a block by the senior and Stenlund. But the Cougars came back to within two after a kill and an ace by Sawin and a Carolina hitting error. The Gamecocks got the lead back to four after a Stenlund block and a Moorhead kill. Havel tied up the match at 18 with two kills and a solo block that capped a four-point run. A pair of Gamecock blocks pushed the lead back to two, but Havel and Phillips both got kills to knot it at 21-21. Kujundzic gave the advantage back to South Carolina, and the team would not relinquish it. A Denson-Dorman ace came in between Cougar hitting errors to hand the set to the Gamecocks. South Carolina held College of Charleston to a hitting percentage of -.021, while Moorhead had four kills in the frame.

In the third, a three-point run by the Gamecocks gave them a 9-5 lead. Freshman Taylor Bruns had an ace to close the stretch started by a Lawing kill. South Carolina kept getting two kills to every one for Charleston, pushing the advantage to 15-8. During that stretch, Kujundzic had four kills while Denson-Dorman added two on dumps. The Cougars would not go away, taking five of six points out of their final timeout to close the gap to 16-13. Lawing had two kills, including one on an overpass, to stop the run, but Charleston kept coming, taking seven straight points to take a 20-18 lead. The Garnet and Black tied it up at 20-20, but the Cougars got the lead back to 23-20 after two blocks and a Gamecock error, causing head coach Ben Somera to use his last timeout. A back-row kill by Kolich put Charleston to set point, and Sawin finished the deal with a kill off the block. College of Charleston bounced back to hit .333 in the third.

The fourth set never saw a team get more than a three-point advantage, with that coming with the Gamecocks on top at 6-3. After a Phillips kill and a let ace from Liza Price put Charleston up 20-18, Somera utilized his first timeout to settle his squad. South Carolina responded with a Laughlin kill and a block from Moorhead and Stenlund, forcing a Cougar timeout. But out of that break, the Cougars committed two errors, making Charleston head coach Jason Kepner use his final timeout. A dump by Dawley stopped the run, but a Cougar error gave the Gamecocks back the advantage. A service error didn't stop the Gamecocks, as Kujundzic and Stenlund both came back with kills to end the frame. Kujundzic had six kills, while Carolina hit .317 in the frame.

A service error gave the Cougars the first lead in the fifth, but a Stenlund kill followed by three Cougar attacking errors put South Carolina up, 4-1, and forced a Charleston timeout. Two straight solo blocks by the Gamecocks, first by Laughlin and then by Kujundzic, made it 6-1. The teams traded sideouts twice, then traded two-point runs before Stenlund and Kujundzic got consecutive kills to make it 13-7. A Cougar block and a Gamecock hitting error made South Carolina call timeout at 13-9. A Cougar error pushed the Garnet and Black to match point. Another Charleston block extended the match, but Kujundzic ended it with her shot down the line, with the Gamecocks ahead 15-10. Eight attack errors for Charleston put their hitting percentage in the frame at -.160, while Kujundzic had four kills and two total blocks.

The Gamecocks out-hit the Cougars, .167 to .135, while they won the assist and digs categories as well. Cline's 18 digs pushed her into the 1,000-dig club at South Carolina, just the seventh member that group.

LADY VOLS GUT OUT FIVE-SET VICTORY OVER WESTERN KENTUCKY

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- It was a tight-scoring affair, but the University of Tennessee volleyball team was able to move to 2-0 on the season with a hard-fought, five-set victory over Western Kentucky, 18-25, 25-16, 25-22, 23-25, 15-12, Saturday night in the seventh annual Comcast Lady Vol Classic at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. The Lady Volunteers will return to the court at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday as they close out the weekend against Lipscomb.

“It’s always nice to find out what your team is made of early in the season,” UT Head Coach Rob Patrick said. “Make no mistake about it though, I have an unbelievable respect for (Western Kentucky Head Coach) Travis (Hudson) and this is just another reason why. They came out and punched us in the face, but we did a great job of answering those punches. We would get the momentum and they would just keep fighting and fighting.

“I want to give credit to their play, but there were definitely some things in the match that we needed to do and didn’t,” Patrick said. “That was a little disappointing but that had a lot to do with Western Kentucky and the fact that it is the beginning of the year and we have a lot of young players out there. With that said, this is a big win for us. Western Kentucky is going to win a lot of matches this season and we were happy to get out of here with a win tonight.”

Junior outside hitter Nikki Fowler continued her hot play, leading all players with 15 kills in the match. In addition, she was stellar on the defensive end, tallying a match-high 25 digs to earn her first double-double of the season and 19th of her career. The Dallas, Texas, native also had 11 kills in the team’s opening match of the tournament to give her 26 on the day, an average of 3.25 per set.

“Honestly, if our team is struggling we go to Nikki to help us get back into the swing of things,” Patrick said. “She is just physically stronger this season, which allows her to come up with big swings late in the match even more often than she has in the past, which is saying something. While we had some other players come up big at the end of the match, we would not have gotten there if it was not for Nikki.”

Not far behind Fowler, however, was freshman Leslie Cikra, who posted a coming out party of sorts with 14 kills of her own in the contest. She also added a dig and a pair of blocks. Reaching double-figures in kills as well was senior Farren Powe with 11 putaways. The Mobile, Ala., product also topped the squad with a .391 hitting percentage with just two errors in 23 attempts. For the day, she hit at a .500 clip, blasting out 21 kills with only three errors on 36 swings.

Things got off to a good start for UT as Fowler opened the first set with a kill from the outside, but the opening blast did not phase the Hilltoppers, who quickly rattled off a 4-1 run to take a two-point lead in the opening minutes of the first set. The two squads battled back-and-forth until an ace from Lindsey Gould and an outside smash from Jordyn Skinner put WKU up 12-10. Those twp plays sparked a game-breaking, 6-1, run by the Hilltoppers, during which Skinner had three kills to help put Western Kentucky ahead, 15-11.

Blocks by Lauren Stuckel and Tiffany Elmore put WKU up by five before Fowler powered a kill from the back row to make the score 17-13. Fowler followed a kill with an attack error forcing Patrick to call a timeout with his host Lady Vols trailing 20-15. WKU maintained its five-point advantage as setter Lauren Stuckel dumped a ball to the center of the court to put WKU up, 23-18. An attack attempt by Fowler came up short on the next play before Teegarden ended the set, 25-18, with a smash from the right side.

WKU continued to apply the pressure in the second set, jumping out to a 3-0 lead behind a kill and block from Brittany Bowen. A kill by Powe, however, marked an end to the run and helped UT spark a 4-0 spree of its own to take a one-point advantage. A right-side smash by Teegarden tied the set, and an ace from Gould gave the Hilltoppers back the lead, 5-4.

Tied at 8-8, Fowler blasted out a kill and an ace on back-to-back plays to ignite a 4-0 UT run that forced Western Kentucky to call a timeout. Although Fowler’s serve was long coming out of the break, Marshall ended a lengthy rally with a kill from the outside to keep UT’s lead at four points. Cikra and Powe then combined on a block, and WKU committed an attack error to put the Lady Vols ahead, 15-9, shortly thereafter.

The Big Orange continued to add to its lead throughout the remainder of the set, before closing it out with a 6-2 run, highlighted by Fowler’s third ace of the night and a trio of attack errors by the Hilltoppers.

Tennessee kept the momentum going in the beginning of the third frame, opening the set on a tear, to the tune of a 5-1 run. A Cikra blast put UT up 2-0 before Bowen scored WKU’s first points with a kill. Consecutive putaways by Marshall and Fowler, and an ace from Powe capped the opening spurt by the Lady Vols.

Western Kentucky’s Stuckel was able to keep her team close, however, using a pair of setter dumps to move the score to 7-4. A hitting error by sophomore Kayla Jeter brought the Hilltoppers within two at 8-6, before back-to-back blasts from Fowler began a 4-0 UT run. Trailing 12-6, Western Kentucky called time out.

After the short stoppage of play, the Hilltoppers committed an attack error to increase UT’s run to five straight. A Fowler serving error ended the UT spurt though and jumpstarted a 4-0 Hilltoppers spree that was capped by a sharp block by Teegarden and Bowen. Once again, a dump from Stuckel proved deadly and closed UT’s advantage to just four at 17-13, but back-to-back attack errors by the Hilltoppers put UT back in front by six. WKU refused to quit and Elmore sparked a 3-0 run with a solo block and a kill. Fowler silenced the run with an explosive kill from the outside to make the score 20-16, though.

They would not be down for long, however, as an ace by Stuckle and an outside blast from Teegarden brought Western Kentucky within a point, 23-22, forcing Patrick to take a timeout. Powe ended the 3-0 WKU run with an overhead kill after the timeout, and she and Marshall combined for the set-winning block to give UT a 25-22 victory and two sets to one advantage.

Despite four kills apiece from Fowler Cikra, UT was never able to take command of the fourth set. The Lady Vols and Hilltoppers traded serving aces on the first three possessions before a hitting error from Stuckel made the score 2-2. WKU and UT continued to battle with no team taking more than a one-point advantage until Skinner topped off a 3-0 Hilltopper run with a kill to put her squad up 11-9.

A pair of putaways by Cikra kept the Orange and White within striking distance, where they remained for the rest of the set. Tennessee was actually able to tie the score on five different occasions after that point, even taking a two-point lead at 18-16, but Western Kentucky just proved too resilient in the end, squeaking out a 25-23 triumph to send the match to a fifth-and-deciding set.

Yet again, the Big Orange grabbed the momentum right out of the gates, with a powerful block by senior Kylie Marshall and Powe, but the Hilltoppers refused to back down, scoring on the next two plays. It was at that point thought, that UT took the lead once and for all, breaking out for four consecutive scores behind the strength of two kills by Cikra and another by Hinkey that prompted Hudson to burn his first timeout.

After Western Kentucky cut the lead to one at 8-7 just moments later, the Lady Vols decided they had seen enough and effectively ended the match with a 5-1 run that featured kills from both Fowler and Jeter, sandwiched around an ace by senior libero Chloe Goldman.

Just one play after Western Kentucky had used its final timeout, Jeter notched her second blast of the fifth set after recording just one kill in the first four frames. Marshall then followed with a kill from the right side before another dump by Stuckel and a smash by Aquila Orr put the score at 13-10 in favor of Tennessee. A strategic timeout by Patrick to steady his troops did the job and Marshall and Cikra unloaded lasers from the outside on two of the next three plays to close out the set, 15-13, and give the Big Orange a 3-2 victory over Western Kentucky.

Tennessee will return to action Saturday afternoon when it closes out the seventh annual Comcast Lady Vol Classic at 2:30 p.m. against Lipscomb.

UT KICKS OFF 2009 SEASON WITH 3-0 SWEEP OF TENNESSEE TECH

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee volleyball team kicked off the 2009 campaign in style on Saturday, cruising to a 3-0 sweep over Tennessee Tech, 25-22, 25-9, 25-14, in the seventh annual Comcast Lady Vol Classic at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. The Lady Vols will be back in action this evening when they take on Western Kentucky at 7 p.m.

“I was very happy and proud of our entire team and how they performed today,” UT Head Coach Rob Patrick said. “Our players have all been practicing really hard and it was good to get out there and play another team. One of the things I was most excited about was that we were able to play so many players and it wasn’t like we were just playing them to get them in there. Each and every player that got on the court today earned that opportunity. They have all done everything that we have asked them to do and we wanted to reward them for doing the right things in practice and playing well.”

The Big Orange wasted little time getting in the flow offensively, hitting at an impressive .380 clip as a team. Junior outside hitter Nikki Fowler and senior middle blocker Farren Powe paced the attack with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Powe tied her career-best with a .692 hitting percentage, recording just a single error in 13 swings, while Fowler blasted away to the tune of a .455 attack average with one error in a total of 22 attempts.

Also standing out for UT were sophomore Kayla Jeter with a career-high eight kills, junior Leah Hinkey who posted seven kills and a .636 hitting percentage in her return to the court after missing the majority of last season due to injury and freshman Leslie Cikra who tallied four kills in her Tennessee debut. Also making their initial appearances wearing the Orange and White were freshmen Natalie Guerra, DeeDee Harrison, Jasmine Brown and junior transfer Emily Steinbeck.

Defensively, the Lady Vols limited TTU to just a .131 hitting percentage and five different members of the squad combined to post eight total team blocks. Seniors Chloe Goldman and Kylie Marshall led the team in the digs category with 12 each.

Hinkey helped set the tone immediately for the Lady Vols in the opening set as consecutive kills from the Glenwood Springs, Colo., native and a Tennessee Tech hitting error granted UT a quick 4-1 advantage. The lead continued to expand behind the efforts of Fowler as four successful blasts and a service ace from the product of Dallas, Texas, granted the Orange and White an 11-5 advantage. Cikra then helped UT to its largest lead of the set at 16-9 via a kill, before Tech began to rally behind the strong hitting of Amanda Lindgren. The Golden Eagle senior outside hitter served as her squad’s main offensive source, recording five of her eight total kills in near succession as TTU clawed within 18-15.

A kill from Jeter and a pair of putaways by Powe pushed the Lady Vol advantage back to six points at 21-15, before Tech exploded for four straight tallies to force Patrick to call a timeout. A Kelsey Gray kill got the Golden Eagles within one at 23-22 before Powe ripped her fourth successful blast of the set. Facing set point, Tennessee’s Cikra and Hinkey made sure of UT would emerge victorious in the frame by combining to stuff Gray to secure the 25-22 victory. Fowler led the Orange & White with six kills in the opening set as UT hit a solid .304.

The second set started out as close as the opener with kills from Tennessee’s Jeter and Tech’s Lindgren setting the count at 5-5. That’s when the Big Orange took serious control, however, igniting on a 12-1 run to race out to a 17-6 advantage. During the spurt a kill from Powe forced a timeout by TTU head coach John Blair at 12-6 in favor of the Lady Vols. However, the quick break failed to stop UT’s freight train of momentum. The Golden Eagles helped out during the spurt by committing four miscues.

A blast from Gray got TTU back within 10 tallies at 18-8 before UT closed out the set via a 7-1 run. Successful kills from Hinkey and senior middle blocker Carol Cheade and another quartet of errors from Tech helped grant Tennessee the commanding 2-0 set advantage with a 25-9 victory. With Jeter leading the way by recording a squad-high five kills, UT posted a sterling .583 hitting percentage.

Tennessee closed out the match by taking the third set in impressive fashion, 25-14. Tech jumped out to an early 5-3 lead behind kills from Lindgren and junior middle blocker Marie Peddicord. Steinbeck got the Lady Vols back on track though, posting consecutive service aces to deadlock the count at 5-5. The Orange and White gained its initial lead of the set at 7-6 on an attack miscue by TTU’s Katrina Dvorken. Shortly thereafter, consecutive successful blasts from Fowler and Jeter expanded the UT lead to 10-6, forcing yet another Golden Eagle timeout.

The advantage grew to seven as Powe delivered two kills and Fowler hammered home a kill off an assist from Goldman. Lindgren delivered a putaway to get Tech within four at 16-12, but that’s as close as TTU would get, as Hinkey, Cikra and Marshall each scored kills over the next six plays to help the Lady Vols gain a 22-12 lead. Holding match point at 24-14, freshman middle blocker DeeDee Harrison closed out the contest in style with her first career kill as Tennessee secured the sweep.

The Big Orange will return to action later this evening at approximately 7 p.m. at Thompson-Boling Arena against Western Kentucky. Live stats via Gametracker and web-streamed video will be available for Tennessee’s contest through utladyvols.com, while updates will be posted after the completion of each set at Twitter.com/utladyvols.

“Western Kentucky got their first match under their belt this morning,” Patrick said. “They looked a little nervous out there, so I know that they are going to be more organized tonight. They do some things that are a little unorthodox, so we have to be prepared for that by being organized on our side of the court. That’s one of the things we have to work on right now. We need to remain focused on our game and make adjustments a little bit quicker.”

Alabama Volleyball Drops a Pair of Matches on Final Day of Active Ankle Challenge

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The Alabama volleyball team suffered a pair of losses Saturday at the Active Ankle Challenge hosted by Saint Louis University. In the first match, the Crimson Tide fell 3-0 to No. 1 Penn State and followed that up with a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Miami (Ohio). Alabama is now 0-3 on the season.

“I thought we played better as the day went on,” said head coach Judy Green. “I like how we started against Miami and would have liked to have ended the match differently. The difference late was definitely service errors.”

In the Tide’s match against Penn State, seniors Elizabeth Salstrand and Brooks Webster and freshman Kayla Fitterer each tallied five kills to pace the Alabama offense. Junior Kayla Schmidt dished out a team-high 13 assists, and Webster topped all passers with 10 digs. Freshmen Kelsey Anderson and Fitterer both made their collegiate debuts in the match.

Alabama kept close early in the first behind a balanced offensive attack that included kills from redshirt sophomore Sarah Machen, juniors Calli Johnson and Alyssa Meuth, Salstrand and Webster. Back-to-back kills from Salstrand put the Tide within three at 13-10, but an 8-1 run by Penn State sent the set out of reach. Nittany Lion junior Arielle Wilson and freshman Darcy Dorton teamed up for a block to close out the first 25-13.

Penn State came out blazing in the second with a 6-1 run and gradually built upon its lead from there. Midway through the set, Fitterer entered the lineup for the first time and provided an immediate offensive presence with a kill setting the score at 13-5. The Nittany Lions continued to distance themselves as the set went on and would eventually win the second 25-10.

In the third set, Alabama was able stay within five points of the Penn State lead throughout the first half. Redshirt Freshman Leigh Moyer laid down a kill off an assist from Schmidt to put the Tide within three at 12-9, but The Nittany Lions would respond with six-straight points. With the score set at 24-13, Alabama was able to extend the match one player longer as a Fitterer kill dropped in the open court.

In the evening match against Miami (Ohio), Meuth had a stellar offensive outing with 10 kills off 19 total attacks for a .474 hitting percentage. Right behind Meuth were Webster and Fitterer who collected nine kills and eight kills, respectively. As a team, the Tide roped in 15 total blocks which is more than it had in any match last season.

The first set of the Tide’s evening match with Miami (Ohio) was extremely competitive seeing nine ties and three lead changes. Alabama hopped in front 2-1 off a RedHawk attack error and held the lead until late in the set. Miami (Ohio) sophomore Amy Raseman aced a serve to give her team the 22-21 edge, but the Tide quickly regained control behind a kill from Johnson and a block from Fitterer and Machen. Although the RedHawks would tie the score two more times, Alabama wouldn’t give up the lead and closed out the set 26-24.

The Tide dominated early on in the second jumping out to a 5-1 start. It continued to stay on top before Miami (Ohio) was able to put together a 10-0 run to pull ahead 19-13. Alabama would cut the deficit to five on two occasions but couldn’t get any closer.

The third mirrored the start of the second with the Tide starting out on a 5-1 run. This time, however, it would not allow the RedHawks the get any closer than three points for the entire set. Alabama’s largest lead came off a block by Johnson and Salstrand putting the crimson and white in front 19-10. Just when it looked like Miami (Ohio) was going to make a late run, the Tide spouted off three consecutive points to set the score at 24-18. The RedHawks grabbed one more point before a Meuth kill awarded Alabama the set.

The fourth set was close from the get go with seven ties and six lead changes. Miami (Ohio) rattled off three straight points for a 10-7 lead and stayed in front for the duration with the exception of a 13-13 tie. The RedHawks would eventually take the fourth by a score of 25-19 to force the decisive set.

The fifth was all Miami (Ohio) after the first couple series as the RedHawks produced an 11-2 scoring run to jump ahead 13-4. Alabama was able to dish out a run of its own to cut the lead to four, but the comeback would fall short with the RedHawks winning the set 15-10.

“We are starting to play harder as a team,” added Green. “We knew we were going to learn a lot at this tournament and still know there are lots of things we need to work on.”

The Tide will play its first home match of the 2009 season Tuesday when it hosts Alabama A&M at 7:00 p.m. (CST) in the CAVE. Season tickets are still available for $30 and can be purchased by visiting RollTide.com or by calling the Alabama Ticket Office at 1-877-TIDETIX (843-3849). Single match tickets are available 90 minutes prior to the start of the match at the door. The cost is $3 for adults and free for students and youth ages 18 and under.

REBELS FALL TO MISSOURI TO CLOSE OUT WEEKEND AT TIGER INVITATIONAL

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Rebels out-blocked the home-standing Tigers on Saturday, but it wasn't enough as Ole Miss (1-2) fell to Missouri (2-0) by a score of 3-0 (19-25, 22-25, 22-25) to close out the Tiger Invitational.

Caitlin Weiss led the Rebels with nine kills on the afternoon and hit .292 for the match, while Miranda Kitts and Katie Norris both added eight kills each. Kitts also put down five blocks, while Weiss added four blocks of her own.

Despite out-blocking the Tigers 9.0 to 2.0, the Rebels couldn't find an answer for Missouri middle Rosa Medrano who put down 19 kills on the afternoon.

Missouri jumped out to the early lead on the Rebels in the first set and Ole Miss was never able to close the gap as the Tigers took a seven point lead and held it on the way to a 25-19 win in the first set.

"We have to continue to build upon some of the great things we're doing inside the matches.," said Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin. "We have to mature as a team. Miranda Kitts had a very good tournament and her hard work in the off-season is really paying off for her."

Ole Miss scored first in the second set, but Missouri again put together a quick run to grab the lead and the Rebels were never able to take it back. Ole Miss cut the Tiger lead to two repeatedly, but Missouri was able to maintain the edge and claim the second set 25-22.

The third set saw a reversal in trends as Ole Miss took the early lead on the Tigers. The Rebels extended the lead to as much as six with a 16-10 advantage, but Missouri found a way to fight back, tying the match three times before taking the lead for good at 21-20. The Tigers claimed the match with a 25-22 win in the third set.

Ole Miss will return to action on Friday when the Rebels host the Magnolia Invitational in Oxford. The Rebels' first match of the weekend tournament is set for 2:30 p.m. against Alcorn State at the Gillom Sports Center and admission is free to the public.

McNeese State Hands Bulldogs First Loss

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the Jenny Hazelwood era Saturday afternoon, as the Cowgirls of McNeese State topped them by a score of 3-1 at the Newell-Grissom Building. The Bulldogs (1-1) won the first set of the Maroon Classic match 25-19, but the Cowgirls (2-0) came roaring back with set wins of 25-20, 25-19 and 25-18.

Maroon Classic host Mississippi State will face Arkansas-Little Rock in the tournament finale tonight at 7 p.m.

The match had a much different feel than the Bulldogs' win Friday night over Jackson State.

"We are learning from every opportunity," first-year Mississippi State head coach Jenny Hazelwood said. "Last, we were up, and today we struggled. McNeese State played great, and we were challenged and tested throughout the entire match."

The Cowgirls out-hit the Bulldogs .236 to .163 on the day, and the main differential between the two teams was the in the digs category; McNeese State was able to return 58 of MSU's shots, while the Bulldogs managed 44.

Hazelwood said McNeese State's defense told the story of the game.

"McNeese State was very solid defensively," Hazelwood said. "We got good hits, but they would keep the ball in play. That was very frustrating for our offense."

Senior outside hitter and Preseason all-Southland Conference selection Chanel Tyler led the match with 21 kills on a .240 hitting percentage. She also added 12 digs and two service aces in the match. Freshman outside hitter Priscilla Massengale notched 15 kills on the contest.

On the Bulldog side of the net, junior middle blocker Ashley Newsome paced the offense with 13 kills, while sophomore hitter Caitlin Rance finished with 10.

After a 9-9 tie, the Bulldogs rode an 8-0 run to a 25-19 first-set victory. Senior setter Dorey Gray chalked up two service aces in the run. Ashley Newsome paced the Bulldogs in the first set with four kills and two total blocks. Three other Bulldogs clocked in with three kills each: senior Ioana Demian, and freshmen Chanelle Baker and Dravon Rangel. The Bulldogs topped the Cowgirls by hitting .281 to .147.

Chanel Tyler led the Cowgirls offense with four kills on the set, while Nicole Bowden got in on the action with two total blocks.

Despite jumping out to a 4-0 lead early in the second frame, Mississippi State couldn't contain the Cowgirl offense for long. Chanel Tyler continued to turn up the heat, leading the Cowgirls to a 25-20 win. Tyler tallied seven kills in the set on a .429 clip, and also stifled the Bulldog offense with six digs.

Ashley Newsome continued to lead the Bulldog offense in the set, with four kills on nine attempts. Overall, McNeese State out-hit Mississippi State in the frame .190 to .116.

McNeese State broke a 7-7 tie in the third set, using back-to-back kills from junior setter Ayshin Vasser during a 4-0 run to pull ahead. Chanel Tyler continued her dominance, adding seven kills on 18 attempts. Priscilla Massengale added six kills on eight attempts, as well as a block.

Caitlin Rance stepped up for the Bulldogs in the third set, notching four kills on seven attempts, as well as a service ace in the frame. No Bulldogs were able to get their hands on a Cowgirl kill at the net in the third set, as McNeese State hit at a .351 clip.

Sophomore hitter Faith Steinwedell got into the match in the third set, seeing her first action since suffering a season-ending knee injury on Oct. 24 last season.

The Cowgirls continued to ride their momentum into the fourth set of the contest, jumping out to a 5-1 lead with the help of two kills from Vasser. Errors began to plague the Bulldogs as well, as the Cowgirl defense forced eight errors in the set. The Bulldogs hit a lowly .036 in the set, compared to the Cowgirls' .259 clip. McNeese State was paced in the fourth set by Priscilla Massengale, who tallied four kills on 10 attempts.

Ashley Newsome kept the Bulldogs in the contest with a few late-set kills, tallying four in the frame on a .222 average.

Later this afternoon, McNeese State will take on Jackson State (0-2) in a 4:30 p.m. contest. All Maroon Classic matches will take place at the Newell-Grissom Building on the campus of Mississippi State University.

Bulldogs Drop Saturday Matches In MSU Maroon Classic

STARKVILLE, Miss. - After registering its sixth straight season-opening wn Friday with a straight-sets decision over Jackson State, Mississippi State found the going a good bit rougher Saturday, dropping hard-fought 3-1 decisions to both McNeese State (19-25-, 25-20, 25-19, 25-18) and Arkansas-Little Rock (25-21, 25-20, 21-25, 27-25) to close out play in the MSU Maroon Classic.

State finished the weekend with a 1-2 mark and continues play next weekend in the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational hosted in Springfield, Mo., Friday and Saturday by Missouri State University.

McNeese State claimed top honors in the tournament, following up an early-afternoon win over Mississippi State with a 3-1 win over Jackson State to finish the weekend with a perfect 3-0 mark. UALR, 2-1 on the weekend, took runnerup honors.

"It's all part of the growing process," said first-year MSU head coach Jenny Hazelwood following Saturday's tourney finale. "We had some really great moments this weekend and some not-so-great moments too. We're learning and improving as we go. We've got good athletes. We've just got to to put all of the elements together and play with consistency."

Junior middle blocker Ashley Newsome represented Mississippi State on the all-tournament team after a solid Saturday of competition. Newsome led State with 13 kills against eventual tournament champ McNeese State and followed that up with a 15-hill, nine-block effort in the finale against Arkansas-Little Rock.

McNeese State's Chanel Tyler (tourney MVP) and Whitney Ellisor, UALR's Anita Bucur and Giuliana De Francesco and Brittany Larkin joined Newsome on the all-tournament team.

The Bulldogs claimed the opening ste against McNeese State 25-19, but Tyler iled up 21 kills to help the Cowgirls reel off wins in the next three sets. Caitline Rance had 10 kills and freshman Dravon Rangel delivered five blocks for State.

In the nightcap, UALR raced to wins in the first two sets. State rebounded, keeping the match alive with a 25-21 win in set three had a serve at set point before UALR scored four of the final game's final five points for a 27-25 win.

Newsome's season-best 15-kills led a trio of Bulldogs hitting the double figure mark in kills. Ioana Demian had 12 and Chanelle Baker 11

"We had two of our biggest crowds ever at Newell-Grissom this weekend, and that's something that exciting that gives us a boost as we prepare for a tough SEC schedule." Among the 489 fans in the stands Saturday was first-year MSU head football coach Dan Mullen, his wife Megan and young son Canon.

Newsome finished the weekend with a team-best 33 kills and 13 total blocks. Demian was next with 32 kills just ahead of Caitlin Rance with 25.

Sophomore middle blocker Mandy Mellencamp, who missed the first two matches of the season with an illness, made her seasonal debut as a starter in Saturday night's match with UALR, chipping in eight kills on a .333 hitting night. Junior libero Kayla Woodard totaled a team-leading 40 digs on the weekend while senior setter Dorey Gray finished the weekend with 95 assists and a team-best six service aces.