FLORENCE, Ala. (April 15, 2024) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team is set for the final week of the regular season, starting with Senior Day on Tuesday, April 16 and ending with the Chattanooga Clash on Wednesday, April 17.
The Lions are set to host UAB and UT Martin from the UNA Beach Volleyball Courts at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. before closing in Tennessee on Wednesday against EKU and Chattanooga, starting at 2 p.m.
The home dual will see six seniors honored during Senior Day festivities, with
Paula Klemperer,
Taylor Seney,
Mackenzie Martin,
Breylee Linder,
Martha McLaurin and
Jelena Girod being recognized after the 3 p.m. match.
North Alabama preps for the week after going undefeated at the Blazer Beach Bash on April 13-14. UNA picked up its first all-time win over UAB at the invitational, also leaving with wins over Southern Miss and Mercer on day one. The Lions extended their win streak to four as they continued to improve with the ASUN Championship tournament on the horizon.
Senior Day duals will be live streamed on ESPN+, with play-by-play provided by the "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray with color commentary from UNA Head Volleyball Coach, Tristan Johnson. Live stats will only be available for UNA's duals against EKU and Chattanooga. 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.
MATCH 1
North Alabama vs. UAB
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
11 a.m.
Watch |
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MATCH 2
North Alabama vs. UT Martin
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
3 p.m.
Watch |
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MATCH 3
North Alabama vs. EKU
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
2 p.m.
Live Stats |
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MATCH 4
North Alabama at Chattanooga
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
4 p.m.
Live Stats |
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NOTES
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama heads into the final week looking for a strong finish with the ASUN Championship incoming. After a 3-0 weekend at the Blazer Beach Bash, UNA averages a 3.2-point margin of victory in 18 wins this season while sweeping opponents in six of the duals.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS: Following UNA's dual against UT Martin, the Lions will have a Senior Day ceremony to honor the achievements of and accolades of six seniors and graduate players. Playing in their final home invitational will be Seney, Klemperer, Martin, Linder, McLaurin and Girod.
MILESTONE WINS: Martin joined teammates Klemperer and Girod with milestone wins to add to their illustrious UNA careers. Martin won her 75th match in a 21-10, 21-17 win over Mercer's Lexi Polychrones and Reese Hood, joining Klemperer as one of two Lions to win 75 matches in program history. Girod earned her 50th career win on March 22 in a 21-11, 21-17 win over EKU's Sami Deidesheimer and Arilyn Lee, while Klemperer won her 75th match in a 21-19, 25-27, 15-11 triumph over Marketa Svozilova and Sloane Woolwine of FAU.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE: The top-flight pair of Klemperer and Seney continue to lead from the front, registering a 18-7 record through 25 games. The pair received the first two ASUN Pair of the Week honors of the season on Feb. 28 and March 6 – their second and third career honor.
TWO'S CREW: Junior
Katy Floyd and sophomore
Selma Robinson have excelled in second-flight play, sporting an 21-5 record to lead the team in wins. The two were previously ranked in the AVCA/CollegeBeachVB.com pair rankings, ranking as high as first in the April 2 edition of the poll.
FLOYD'S FINE FORM: Floyd's individual performance was recognized on a national level April 2 when the junior ranked fifth in the AVCA/CollegeBeachVB.com player rankings.
DYNAMIC DUO(S): North Alabama has had three pairs ranked in the top five of the AVCA/CollegeBeachVB.com pair rankings this season. Floyd and Robinson spent time as the top-ranked pair from flight two, while Klemperer and Seney were ranked as high as third from flight one in the Feb. 27 poll. Girod and freshman
Sarah Larkin Lewis were ranked fifth from flight five in the April 2 pair rankings.
A LONG TIME COMING: UNA finished the FSU Unconquered Invitational with a historic 4-1 win over No. 20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – the first win over a ranked opponent in program history. The Lions were 0-14 previously against ranked opponents. As an athletic department, it marked the first win over a nationally ranked Division I team since women's basketball defeated ranked FGCU in 2020.
ALMOST THERE!: North Alabama received votes in the AVCA Collegiate Beach Coaches Poll for the first time ever this season. The Lions received two votes in the March 5 edition of the poll, with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (9), Tulane (6), South Carolina (2) and Boise State (2) receiving votes along with UNA.
POWER FIVE, BEWARE: The 2024 season has provided program milestones after the Lions defeated their first two Power Five opponents. UNA's first Power Five win came at the Green Wave Invitational, defeating Oregon in a 5-0 sweep. The following weekend at the Tiger Beach Bash saw UNA sweep Nebraska for its second Power Five win.
SCOUTING UAB: The Blazers make the trip to Florence in the second meeting of the week. UAB is 15-12 overall with a 1-3 conference record and received one vote in the April 9 edition of the AVCA Coaches Poll. Last time out, the Blazers hosted the Blazer Beach Bash from April 13-14, going 2-1 with wins over Southern Miss and Mercer. Top-flight pair Arden Copping and Jasmine Haas lead with a team-high 18 wins on the season. UAB's head coach is Delaney Clesen.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE BLAZERS: North Alabama will go for its second-straight win over the Blazers after defeating UAB at the Blazer Beach Bash on April 14. The win marked the first for UNA in the all-time series, as UAB leads 4-1.
SCOUTING UT MARTIN: UT Martin will face the Lions in the final match of Senior Day. The Skyhawks enter with a 11-13 record overall with a 5-1 Ohio Valley Conference record. UT Martin split two meetings in their last outing on April 10, picking up a win in a sweep of Jacksonville State. Olivia O'Keefe and Jenna Vallée lead from the top flight with eight wins, but the Skyhawks have a two-way tie for the most wins with 13. Sydney Eckhardt and Dylan Mott have 13 wins from the second flight while Kayla Carrell and Dylan Sulcer have 13 wins from the fourth and fifth flights. UT Martin is coached by Jaclynn Wilson.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE SKYHAWKS: UNA faces UT Martin in the ninth all-time meeting between the two. The Lions lead the series 6-2, looking to get back in the win column after dropping the last matchup on April 4, 2023.
SCOUTING EKU: EKU will clash with North Alabama in a meeting of ASUN teams. The Colonels are 15-11 on the season with a 4-2 conference record. EKU has lost the last three duals, dropping contests against Charleston, Coastal Carolina and UNC-Wilmington at the C of C Beach Classic from April 12-13. The Colonels have seven players with more than 10 wins, led by top-flight pair Sarah Mitchell and Paityn Walker with 15. EKU is led by head coach Jeff Patton.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE COLONELS: The Lions look to remain perfect against the Colonels, leading the series 4-0 in the fifth all-time meeting.
SCOUTING CHATTANOOGA: Chattanooga caps the regular season for UNA in the final match from Tennessee. UTC has an 11-8 overall record with a 5-1 OVC record, coming off of a 5-0 weekend in the home outing for the Scenic City Showdown. The Mocs defeated UT Martin, Austin Peay, Carson Newman and Tusculum in the Senior Day affair, extending their win streak to 10 matches. Nine players have 10 or more wins for the Mocs, with McKenna Faychak, Paige Gallentine, Kaye Gresham and Maddie Lecik all tied with a team-high 11 wins. Neva Clark and Corina Vale are the top-flight pair for the Mocs, sporting a 10-9 record on the season. Chattanooga's head coach is Darin Van Horn.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE MOCS: This is the seventh all-time meeting between North Alabama and Chattanooga. The Lions lead the series, 4-2.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
