FLORENCE, Ala. (September 11, 2025) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team will host the Western Carolina Catamounts and the Alabama Crimson Tide this weekend in the Noona Kennard Volleyball Tournament at CB&S Bank Arena.
This will mark UNA's first home match against Alabama inside CB&S Bank Arena. The Lions are hoping for a record attendance with hundreds of tickets already sold.
The Lions open the event Friday, Sept. 12, against Western Carolina at 6 p.m. The matchup marks the first meeting between the programs. UNA will close the tournament Sunday, Sept. 14, against Alabama at 2 p.m. The Lions are seeking their second straight win over the Crimson Tide after sweeping them on the road in 2024.
Alabama and Western Carolina will face each other Saturday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m.
The Friday match will serve as the third annual Eden Calhoun Memorial Match. Sunday's contest will be UNA Volleyball Alumni Day, highlighted by a noon luncheon to welcome former players back to Florence.
Both UNA matches will be available for streaming on ESPN+, and live stats will be provided through StatBroadcast. Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following the action, but fans can also follow along in real time on the UNA Volleyball social media pages.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the match, as parking is limited due to ongoing construction. As such, the lot near the Hal Self Athletic Annex will be unavailable. Violators will be towed if parked in the construction zone.
Fans are encouraged to park in Lot O below the arena, the Science Building lot or in the parking deck across from the arena. Limited handicap parking will be available in front of the CB&S Bank Arena ticket office.
MATCH 1
North Alabama vs. Western Carolina
Friday, Sept. 12, 2025
6 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | Twitter
MATCH 2
North Alabama vs. Alabama
Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025
2 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | Twitter
NOTES
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama enters the weekend 4-4 after sweeping Samford on Tuesday — the Lions' first win over the Bulldogs since 1997. Junior Kendall Barnes led UNA with 10 kills and a career-high three service aces. Nicole Sargent and Dylann Garner added seven kills apiece. Kinslee McGowan tallied 30 assists, Ava Martindale posted 20 digs, and Jenna Kolosta contributed three blocks.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: McGowan and Jenna Kolosta were named the Atlantic Sun Conference Volleyball Setter of the Week and Freshman of the Week, respectively, on Monday. The honors marked the first each of their careers, with McGowan's award marking the first in Division I program history. Kolosta's accolade continued a long line of ASUN weekly freshman awards for UNA with the 13th in program history.
DISHING DIMES: McGowan has been the point guard for the North Alabama Volleyball offense, and her first season as the primary starting setter has started earning a career mark. McGowan tallied her 500th career assist against Alabama A&M on Sept. 2. McGowan has led in match assists in all but two contests (at Mississippi State and versus Samford) and is second in the Atlantic Sun Conference in assists per set (9.93). As of Sept. 10, her 298 assists rank first in the ASUN.
KENDALL ON THE ATTACK!: Kendall Barnes has been UNA's leader on the attack, leading the team with 107 kills. As of Sept. 10, she ranks second in the ASUN in kills per set (3.57), and her 107 kills are the most among the top 10. Barnes has 115 points on the season, with the junior third in the ASUN in points per set (3.83).
ACING THE COMPETITION: Service ace extraordinaire Olivia Fenoff has provided added offense, totaling 15 on the season. Her 15 aces leads the ASUN as of Sept. 10, and her 0.50 ace per set average is tied for second. She also set a career mark with her 50th service ace against Grambling State on Aug. 30.
GET YOUR SHOVELS!: Ava Martindale has gotten off to a great start in her first season at North Alabama. As of Sept. 10, she's tied atop the ASUN with 119 digs and is fifth in digs per set (3.97).
AMONG THE RANKS: UNA is ranked nationally in individual statistics as of Sept. 10. McGowan is tied for third in the NCAA in total assists while 38th in assists per set. Barnes is 12th in total kills, and Fenoff is 19th nationally in total service aces. Barnes, additionally, is 25th in the country in total points. Martindale rounds out the leaders placing 20th in total digs.
MAKING THEIR MARK: The new faces for UNA Volleyball have been impactful early on the season. Martindale set a career high in digs against Southeast Missouri, with Barnes tallying a career-high 21 kills against Alabama A&M. Kolosta has also had a solid start at middle blocker with a season stat line of 51 kills, 20 blocks and 13 digs. Junior Jessi Ritchhart has also contributed in limited action with a Division I career-high 12 digs against SEMO.
SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA: Western Carolina enters the weekend at 4-3, coming off a 3-2 comeback win against UNC Asheville on Sept. 9. The Catamounts previously played at the Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic from Sept. 5-6 and came away with a 3-2 win against Bradley. Western Carolina's Katie Boney won the Southern Conference's Setter of the Week on Sept. 8. Her 298 assists is tied for third nationally with UNA's Kinslee McGowan. The meeting against North Alabama marks the first all-time series matchup. Western Carolina's head coach is Karen Glover.
SCOUTING ALABAMA: Alabama sports a 5-1 record, defeating Wake Forest on Wednesday, 3-2. The Crimson Tide opened the season with four-straight wins against UNC Asheville, Jacksonville, UAB and Chattanooga. Alabama is led in points and kills by Victoria Barrett with 102.5 and 89, respectively. Hannah Parant has the team high in assists with 223, also leading with 14 service aces. Trinity Stanger leads with 92 digs, and Sarah Stevens has a leading 18 blocks on the season. Rashinda Reed is the head coach for Alabama.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE CRIMSON TIDE: Sunday marks the second all-time meeting between UNA and Alabama since 1978. North Alabama won the first of those meetings in a 3-0 road sweep on Sept. 18, 2024. Prior to 1978, UNA and Alabama played 13 times according to available records. North Alabama won three of those contests, including a 2-0 win in Florence on Oct. 14, 1975. UNA additionally claimed away wins on Oct. 21, 1974 and Nov. 8, 1975. In 2024, Tristan Johnson became the first UNA volleyball coach to defeat Alabama since UNA Athletic Hall of Famer Don McBrayer. Johnson is a graduate of Alabama and was an assistant coach for the Tide for two seasons.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
