FLORENCE, Ala. (September 2, 2024) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team will play the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Tuesday, Sept. 3 in the first home match of the season in CB&S Bank Arena in Flowers Hall.

The Lions will look to open the home stand with a win against their in-state rivals from Huntsville, while also going for their first win of the new season. UNA is coming off its opening weekend, facing Auburn, Wofford and Georgia Southern in hard-fought matches at the War Eagle Invitational.

First serve from Florence will be at 6 p.m. The match 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. Parking in the lot near the Hal Self Athletic Annex will be limited due to Bank Independent Stadium construction. Violators will be towed if parked in the construction zone. Fans are encouraged to park in the lots below the arena, along Circular Road and North Pine Street.

Limited handicap parking will also be available in front of the annex and the CB&S Bank Arena ticket office.


MATCH INFO
North Alabama vs. Alabama A&M
Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024
6 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats| Tickets | Twitter


NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: The Lions made their 2024 debut against quality opponents at the War Eagle Invitational from August 30-31. UNA faced Auburn, Wofford and Georgia Southern and had competitive showings in all three matches. The opening match against Auburn saw North Alabama go toe-to-toe with the SEC foes, with each set determined by 3.3 points in the three-set defeat. UNA also took Wofford and Georgia Southern to five sets in the opening weekend.

WE CAN DIG IT: An early bright spot after opening weekend, the Lions lead the Atlantic Sun Conference in digs and opponent service aces. The team leads with 219 digs and eight opponent service aces, with averages of 16.85 digs per set and 0.62 service aces per set. UNA has given up four less service aces than FGCU, who is second with 12 opponent service aces.

SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama looks to build upon a solid showing in the first weekend of the season with an opening win at home. Senior Brenna Tietz leads the team in points after the first three matches, totaling 36 kills, eight blocks and five digs. Tietz also set a career high in single-game kills with 18 against Wofford on August 30. Two freshmen have made an early impacts with Reese Ricketts leading the team with 38 kills and Audrey Small on top with 48 digs. The Lions have high expectations and will look to jumpstart the campaign against the Bulldogs after 2023 saw them finish with the most total and conference wins in the Division I era. The Lions went 17-12 overall with a 9-7 ASUN record and finished the season with their first-ever appearance in the ASUN Volleyball Championship Tournament.

SCOUTING ALABAMA A&M: The Bulldogs will make the trip to Florence for the second-straight season, looking to spoil the Lions' home opener. Alabama A&M play in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), finishing the 2023 season with a 12-19 overall record with a 11-5 record in the SWAC. The Bulldogs are off to a 2-1 start to the 2024 season after opening with two-straight wins against Idaho and Oral Roberts on August 30 and 31. The current leader in points for the Bulldogs is Fatima Ramirez with 37, also leading the team with 35 kills. The head coach for the Alabama A&M is Dr. Brandon Reeves in his first season.

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE BULLDOGS UNA has an 8-5 record through 13 all-time meetings. North Alabama has won three-straight matches against Alabama A&M, including a 3-1 win last time out on Sept. 12, 2023 in CB&S Bank Arena.

PRESEASON PRESS: The Lions were voted fourth in the ASUN Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll on August 21, marking the highest coaches poll ranking in UNA's Division I era. UNA's previous highest ranking was eighth, which came prior to the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.