FLORENCE, Ala. (September 14, 2023) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team will be in the friendly confines of CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall this weekend for the UNA Invitational on Sept. 15-16 in Florence.

The two-day invitational will welcome three teams — including a fellow ASUN member — with Central Arkansas, Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff making their way to the Shoals. The Lions' first match will be on Friday, Sept. 15 where they will play Central Arkansas at 6 p.m. in the Eden Calhoun Memorial Match.

UNA will follow with two matches on Saturday, Sept. 16, against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 1 p.m. and conclude the invitational against Mississippi Valley State at 5 p.m. 

Tickets can be purchased through the ticket portal on roarlions.com, and live stats will be provided for all matches through StatBroadcast. All three UNA matches will also be livestreamed on ESPN+.

MATCHUP

Game 1: North Alabama vs Central Arkansas

Friday, September 15

6 p.m.

Game Notes | Live Stats | Tickets | Watch

Game 2: North Alabama vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Saturday, September 16

1 p.m. 

Game Notes | Live Stats | Tickets | Watch

Game 3: North Alabama vs Mississippi Valley State

Saturday, September 16

5 p.m.

Game Notes | Live Stats | Tickets | Watch

NOTES

First Things First: The Lions will enter the tournament the victors of their previous match, beating the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, 3-1, in the home opener. The night was marked by two career-high performances with graduate players Anna Katherine Griggs and Luana Bulara setting new marks in kills and service aces with 19 and five, respectively. This will be the first and only invitational North Alabama will host this season. UNA will also be looking to finish with a positive record in invitational appearances this season, with the Lions currently owning an even 4-4 record in invite game this season.

For A Great Cause: Friday's Sept. 15 match against the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears will be the Eden Calhoun Memorial Match. There will be special tickets available for purchase, and fans can use code "ECMM" to donate a portion of the sales towards the Eden Calhoun Charitable Fund. For more information on this cause, visit ahandtoalwayshold.org. 

Celebrate Good Times: The weekend festivities will continue as Saturday, Sept. 16, will serve as a day to reunite former UNA volleyball players and coaches, including the 2003 NCAA Division II National Championship team. As one of the most successful sports in the school's history, the 2003 team has the distinct honor of winning the first and only volleyball national championship in the state of Alabama.

Scouting the Sugar Bears: Central Arkansas (4-6) comes to Florence for the first of their home-and-away matchups against the Lions this season. Coming off a two-win, one loss performance at the Tulsa Invitational, they defeated UT Arlington in five sets and Oral Roberts in three but lost to hosts Tulsa in four sets. North Alabama holds a 6-5 record against Central Arkansas all-time, with UNA's last win coming in a 3-1 victory on October 15, 2021. Prior to the Division I era, UNA had a pair of sweeps over UCA in 2002 — a year that the Lions finished 30-5 overall. Junior outside hitter Lilly Taylor leads UCA this season with 115 points, registering 95 kills, five assists and 15 service aces. She also has 87 digs and eight blocks on the year. Her 15 service aces tie her for third in the ASUN Conference. The Bears are coached by John Newberry in his seventh season.

Scouting the Lady Lions: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-9) enters the invitational after dropping their last three matches at the USI Invitational in Evansville, Ind., falling to Southern Indiana, Bradley and Jacksonville — all in three sets. This will mark the first-ever meeting between the North Alabama Lions and the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Lady Lions. The Lady Lions are led by junior outside hitter/defensive specialist Zykia Jones, leading Arkansas-Pine Bluff with 73 points. She has totals of 62 kills, nine assists and eight service aces on offense, and defensively, Jones has tallied 62 digs and five blocks. Arkansas-Pine Bluff is led by second year head coach Gabrielle Floyd.

Scouting the Devilettes: Mississippi Valley State (3-5) will make the trip to Florence on a positive note, winning their last match against Tougaloo College (Miss.) in three sets. The Devilettes and Lions will meet on the volleyball court for the first time ever this weekend. Sophomore outside hitter/defensive specialist Torre Giron is the leader in points for Mississippi Valley State with 36 points, contributing a team-high 26 kills, seven assists and seven service aces on the offensive end. She is tied for the team high in digs with 47 and second on the team in blocks with five. Assata Conway is the head coach for the Devilettes.