Nov. 23, 2008

Final Stats | CBSC Highlights

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Sunday's Conference USA Volleyball Championship, which featured the league's top two teams, lived up to its billing. Top-seeded Tulane and No. 2 seed UAB went back-and-forth for two hours before the Green Wave outlasted the Blazers, 3-2 (20-25, 25-19, 25-9, 20-25, 15-6).

UAB (25-6) had been the only C-USA team to defeat Tulane (27-5) this season. The Blazers earned a five-set win Oct. 5 when the teams met in Birmingham. The 15-6 margin in that final set was the same score UAB lost by Sunday.

"I think any time these two teams step on the floor, it is going to be a battle," UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. "It has been that way in the three years that I've been here. We just didn't get a lot of offensive productivity today, so we struggled. Tulane is a great team, and you have to play great to beat a great team."

Ivana Bozic led the UAB charge with her 18th double-double of the season, posting 17 kills and 13 digs. Nevena Stefanov handed out 46 assists in the match, and Aleksandra Vujovic led the Blazers in digs with 21.

Stefanov and fellow senior Lilly Domingos represented UAB on the all-tournament team.

In Sunday's match, the Blazers overcame a decisive third-set loss by bouncing back to take the fourth set, forcing a fifth and decisive frame.

Tulane, however, regrouped and jumped out to an early fifth-set lead. The Green Wave held an 8-4 lead when the teams changed sides and opened their advantage up to five at 11-6 on a Jen Linder kill. A UAB timeout could not stop the momentum. Tulane came out of the break and served out the match with five straight points. A kill by Bridget Wells on match point sealed the win.

"For whatever reason, tonight wasn't our night," Messersmith said. "We had a good weekend, and these seniors have accomplished so much. They won one championship and have been runner-up in two. I just can't say enough about how proud I am of these kids."

Sunday's contest marked the fourth straight year the C-USA Championship final has gone five sets. UAB has been involved in the last thee tournament championship matches, winning the title in 2006.

"You just have to give a lot of credit to our seniors because they are the ones who have led us here all three years," Messersmith said. "I know they were a little disappointed because you want to win your conference championship, but we told them there is nothing to be ashamed of. We have three trophies to prove it, and we're hopefully not done yet."

The final verdict Sunday overshadowed a solid fourth set for UAB. The Blazers were on the brink of defeat after dropping a 25-9 decision in the third. But UAB pulled things together to keep the match alive. The Blazers, which hit .467 as a team in their first-set win, posted a .394 hitting percentage in the fourth. UAB led by as many as eight points at 17-9 and cruised to a 25-20 win.

The teams split the first two sets, as well. UAB got off to a fast start offensively, and Savannah Pegg recorded six kills in the opening set, including four in a five-point stretch, as the Blazers pulled away for a 25-20 win. In the second frame, the UAB offense cooled off while Tulane heated up as the Green Wave evened the match with a 25-19 victory.

Tulane's Sara Radosevic led all players in the match with 18 kills, and three other Green Wave players tallied 14 kills.

UAB will return to action next weekend with two more regular season matches as it continues to build its resume for an NCAA Tournament at-large berth. The Blazers will host Cincinnati on Friday at 7 p.m. CT and Florida A&M on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.

"I think this conference deserves two, if not three, bids," Messersmith said. "We've made a huge leap as a whole, and hopefully the selection committee will reward our conference."

Tulane head coach Liz Kritza agrees.

"This is a very significant win for us because it is against UAB," Kritza said. "I have the utmost respect for head coach Kerry Messersmith and the program she has built. This match today helps both of us prepare to go on to the NCAA Tournament and represent Conference USA the way that we should."