Nov. 15, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB volleyball team will close out its regular season Conference USA slate Sunday when the Blazers travel to Memphis for a 1 p.m. CT first serve with the Tigers.

UAB is looking to bounce back from a pair of 3-2 losses last weekend at Rice and Houston, which snapped a school-record 16-match winning streak. The Blazers are also hoping to avenge a Sept. 18 loss to Memphis in the teams' conference opener in Birmingham.

The Blazers (22-5, 12-3 C-USA) have already locked up a first-round bye in next week's Conference USA Tournament. A win Sunday at Memphis (17-12, 8-7 C-USA) would secure the No. 2 seed for UAB.

Senior outside hitter Ivana Bozic leads UAB into Memphis with team-best averages of 3.42 kills per set and 3.42 digs per set. Senior setter Nevena Stefanov runs the offense with 11.09 assists per set for the Blazers, who enter the match ranked 30th in the most recent RPI and receiving votes in the Bison/AVCA Coaches Poll for the sixth straight week. Senior middle blocker Casey Dent leads UAB and ranks 20th nationally with a .389 attack percentage.

Memphis comes into the match tied with Tulsa for fifth place in the conference standings. The Tigers also lost to Rice and Houston last weekend, falling 3-0 to both the Owls and Cougars on the road.

Emily Underwood leads Conference USA with 1.53 blocks per set and also owns a team-best .258 attack percentage for Memphis. Laura Cote leads the Tigers with 10.11 assists per set, and Christine Bach owns a team-best 4.50 digs per set.

Memphis owns a 32-13 edge in the all-time series with UAB, including a 3-1 win Sept. 18 in the teams' first meeting this year. The Blazers will be back in Memphis later in the week as the Tigers host the C-USA Tournament starting Thursday.