BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (September 6, 2025) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team fell in five sets Saturday afternoon to UAB in the finale of the Blazer Invitational, 3-2.
North Alabama (3-3) pushed the Blazers to a tight match after UAB had swept Tennessee Tech and USC Upstate earlier in the weekend. The Blazers opened strong with two set wins before UNA answered with back-to-back victories to force a deciding fifth. UAB held off the Lions' late rally to close out a 3-2 win.
Junior Kendall Barnes was the UNA leader on the attack, securing 16 kills on the day. Sophomore Reese Ricketts and freshman Jenna Kolosta totaled 10 kills to round out the top three leaders, with Kolosta totaling a career-high.
Sophomore Kinslee McGowan paced all players with 42 assists. Junior Ava Martindale led the match with 12 digs, while junior Olivia Fenoff served four aces. Junior Nicole Sargent finished with a match-high six blocks.
North Alabama gained momentum first in the opening set, breaking the early deadlock to gain a four-point advantage. The Lions jumped out to a 11-8 lead and later extended it to a 13-9 advantage midway through the frame. Barnes contributed two kills in the run along with an ace from Martindale.
UAB fought back with a 7-2 run to retake the lead at 16-15. UNA found a second gear and responded with a 6-2 run to gain back the upper hand. Martindale's second ace of the set helped pace the run with kills from Barnes, Ricketts and senior Jolana Smidlova contributing. North Alabama led 21-18, but a 7-1 UAB run saw the set out for the Blazers, 25-22.
The second set began with a solid North Alabama start, gaining an 11-7 advantage. Martindale tallied her third service ace along with seven kills from the UNA offense. The Lions held their lead through the midway point, but another Blazer run made the difference towards the end of the set. North Alabama led 20-15 when UAB cut the lead to 21-19.
UNA called a timeout to halt momentum, but the Blazers continued with a 6-2 run en route to a narrow 25-23 set win.
North Alabama was able to get on the board with a set point in the third frame. The Lions gained separation early with a 10-7 lead, but the Blazers retook the lead with a 7-2 run. UAB led 14-12 when UNA worked its way back into the advantage. A 6-1 run gave the Lions a 18-15 lead, but UAB continued to fight looking for the sweep. With North Alabama leading 20-18, UNA captured the third set using a 5-2 run to head to the fourth.
The fourth set was a competitive affair as neither team led by more than three points in the set. Despite the frame being close, North Alabama was able to extend the match and force a deciding fifth set. UNA trailed 17-20 when the Lions went on a 5-2 run to tie the set at 22. Olivia Fenoff and Ricketts fueled a 3-1 run with a kill each to take the set, 25-23.
The final frame saw UAB jump out to a 7-1 lead, but North Alabama battled back despite the deficit. The Lions worked back to cut the Blazer lead to 13-11, but UAB held on for the 15-12 win.
UP NEXT
North Alabama hosts its first home contest on Tuesday, Sept. 9, facing the Samford Bulldogs in CB&S Bank Arena at 6 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
