Dec. 4, 2008

Watch Live | Gametracker | Tourney Bracket | Tourney Notes

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Fans will be able to watch Friday's NCAA Volleyball Championship first-round match between UAB and Missouri State live online.

The match will be streamed on Nebraska's official website, www.huskers.com. Click here for the video link through the tournament home page. Live stats for the match will also be available through Gametracker.

UAB is set to take on Missouri State Friday at 4:30 p.m. CT in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Volleyball Championship. The Blazers and Bears will play the first match of the day Friday at the NU Coliseum on the campus of the University of Nebraska.

UAB is making its second NCAA tournament appearance in three years after also making the field in 2006. The Blazers won the Conference USA Championship that season, but this year they put together a strong enough regular season to earn the first at-large bid in program history.

Led by Ivana Bozic with 3.31 kills per set and C-USA Setter of the Year Nevena Stefanov with 11.13 assists per set, UAB is 26-7 overall and finished in second place in the C-USA standings with a 13-3 league record. The Blazers advanced to the conference tournament finals for the third season in a row before falling to C-USA champion Tulane.

Missouri State, which is 23-12 on the season, enters the tournament on a hot streak after winning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. The Bears upset two NCAA tournament teams -- Wichita State and Northern Iowa -- along the way, including handing Wichita State its first loss of the season.

Four Missouri State players average more then two kills per set, led by Sara Staubach at 2.87. Setter Ashley Kell runs the Bears' offense with 9.62 assists per set.

UAB has never met Missouri State in volleyball, nor have the Blazers ever played the other two teams -- Liberty and Nebraska -- at the Lincoln site. Big South champion Liberty and the host and No. 4 overall seed Huskers will meet in Friday's second first-round match. Friday's winners will play in the second round Saturday at 5 p.m. CT.