FLORENCE, Ala. (September 23, 2026) – Following a successful non-conference slate, the University of North Alabama volleyball team opens United Athletic Conference play at home Thursday against Abilene Christian.
The match will begin at 6 p.m. and will be played inside CB&S Bank Arena. This will be the first home match for the Lions since Sept. 5 when they swept UT Martin.
The broadcast will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available on StatBroadcast. "Voice of the Lions" Benjamin Ray will be on play-by-play with Ande Jones as the analyst. Gyvan Hammons will be the sideline reporter.
MATCH INFO
Abilene Christian vs. North Alabama
Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026
CB&S Bank Arena | Florence, Ala.
6 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
NOTES
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama enters the match with a 10-3 record after starting the season with 10 straight wins — the best start since 2005. The Lions are currently on a three-match losing streak after their undefeated start, but against good competition. Their first loss came from ACC opponent Florida State and then two losses to Liberty, who was picked second in the Conference USA preseason rankings. The team currently has a hitting percentage of .251 to continue to lead the conference. They also lead in kills per set (13.12) and assists per set (12.39).
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: Abilene Christian enters the match with an 8-4 record and is currently on a three-match win streak. They rank second behind UNA in the UAC with 11.98 assists per set and 13.07 kills per set. ACU was ranked fifth, right behind UNA, in the UAC preseason poll. They had one Preseason All-UAC selection, Hannah Gonzalez, who has 120 kills in 12 games with a .339 hitting percentage.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST ABILENE CHRISTIAN: The Lions and Wildcats have faced each other twice before and have an even 1-1 record. The last time the two faced off was in 2009 when Abilene Christian defeated North Alabama 3-1 in the Nebraska-Omaha Volleyball Showcase. This was just UNA's third match of their season. The first meeting between these two was in 1996 in the Henderson State Lady Reddie Classic when UNA defeated Abilene Christian 3-1.
21 CLUB: North Alabama's Reese Ricketts and Abilene Christian's Hannah Gonzalez were both Preseason All-UAC selections, and they both lead their teams in the kill category. On Sept. 11 this season, both players reached their season high with 21 kills. UNA was playing Samford and defeated them 3-2, while ACU was playing Oral Roberts and defeated them 3-1.
LIONS IN THE UAC RANKINGS: Ricketts continues to lead the UAC in kills per set, averaging 3.50. Junior Dylann Garner ranks fourth and averages 3.00 kills per set. Junior Kinslee McGowan has led the conference in assists per set for the whole season, and she currently is averaging 10.03. Senior Ava Martindale leads the team in digs per set and ranks fourth in the conference, averaging 4.85.
THE KILL LEADER: Ricketts, a Preseason All-UAC selection, has continued her momentum into her junior season, after earning ASUN Freshman of the Year in 2024 and Third Team All-ASUN in 2025. She leads the team and the UAC in kills per set, averaging 3.50, and has a total of 140 kills. She is also second on the team in digs with 116 and has 11 aces.
THE ASSIST LEADER: McGowan is the Lions' main setter and leads the team and conference in assists per set with 10.03. Last season, in the first 13 matches, McGowan had 466 assists and played in 48 sets to average 9.71 assists per set. This season, she has 391 in 39 sets to beat her average at this point last season.
THE DIG LEADER: Martindale is the Lion's main libero and leads the team in digs with 199 and averages 4.85 per set. She had 24 digs over the two matches at Liberty in just six sets to average four digs per set.
FRESHMAN IMPACT: Freshman Anna Hoffmayer has immediately made a difference for the Lions and has been a starter since day one. She has led the team in blocks this season and currently has 36. She also has 71 kills and a hitting percentage of .308.
BIG-TIME ADDITION: North Alabama brought in one transfer this season, senior Phoebe Reyes Fortunato. She is a transfer from South Carolina, and prior to her time in the SEC she was an NJCAA All-American. She has made an immediate impact, totaling 111 kills to rank third on the team and hit for .277. Defensively, she has 44 digs and 14 blocks.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
