BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (October 25, 2024) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team opens the Fall 2024 season on Saturday, Oct. 26. at the UAB Fall Pairs Tournament in Birmingham, Ala.
The Lions are back in action for a second-consecutive fall season, and they'll look for a strong start to the campaign with pre-championship season matchups against UAB and UT Martin. UNA faced the two teams during the Spring 2024 season.
UNA played three events during its inaugural fall season in 2023, including stops in Alabama and Tennessee. This set up a spring season in 2024 where the program achieved new heights, including numerous school records. UNA head coach and reigning Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year Kaleb VanDePerre has his sights on another successful season, starting with the matchups against the Blazers and Skyhawks.
"We're really excited to head to Birmingham and play some outside competition," said VanDePerre. "UAB and UT Martin have a really strong history so we know the competition will be solid. The girls have been working hard these past few weeks on building chemistry and trusting with one another, and this is just a great time to see what progress we've made and figure out what areas will need a little more focus in the coming weeks. We're really excited to see some of our newcomers get their first college experience and are expecting a great weekend of getting better."
Play from Birmingham begins at 9:30 a.m. with UNA having eight pairs competing throughout five pools of play. Pair information can be found here, with results from each match being provided following the conclusion of play.
Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following the action, but fans can also follow along on the UNA Beach Volleyball social media pages.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
UAB: The Blazers were winners of 19 matches during the Spring 2024 season, also taking home two Conference USA wins. They made the conference tournament, taking home a 3-0 win against Tarleton State but falling to No. 14 FIU in the ensuing round. UAB and North Alabama played twice during the championship season, and each side took home a win.
UT MARTIN: The Skyhawks won 16 matches in Spring 2024, including nine matches in the Ohio Valley Conference. UT Martin won its opening match against Morehead State at the OVC Beach Volleyball Championship but dropped its next two matches against Chattanooga and Lindenwood. The lone matchup during the championship season resulted in a 4-1 win by UNA on April 16, 2024.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
