(BOX 1.PDF) | (BOX2.PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UMass Lowell Volleyball team split a pair of matches in the opening day of the UAB Invitational on Friday. In the early match, the River Hawks swept Mississippi Valley State (3-0) and then fell to host Alabama-Birmingham (3-1) in the late match. The set scores vs. MVSU were 25-12, 25-16 and 25-20. The set scores against the host Blazers were 19-25, 26-24, 22-25 and 9-25.

The River Hawks now own a 2-11 record and posted their first two-game win streak under Second-year Head Coach Resa Provanzano. UAB improved to 5-8, while MVSU dropped to 1-9 overall on the season.

In the victory vs. Mississippi Valley State, junior right side hitter Elima Ahzi (Chula Vista, Calif.) recorded a career-high 12 kills to go along with a match-high .391 hitting percentage. Freshman middle blocker Lade Adeniyi (Springfield, Ill.) chipped in with eight kills, while junior middle blocker Lauren Bennett (Wilmington, Mass.) and sophomore outside hitter Masha Yelsukova (Santa Clara, Calif.) each totaled seven kills in the victory for the River Hawks.

Freshman Delaney Mendez (Phoenix, Ariz.) and junior Alexa Toth (Portland, Ore.) split time at setter, finishing the match with 17 and 12 assists, respectively. Freshman libero Lindsey Visvardis (Homer Glen, Ill.) turned in another 20-dig effort, which was the fourth of her young River Hawk career.

The River Hawks opened the match with 12 kills and .310 hitting percentage in Set 1 and followed that with 14 kills in Set 2.

In the late match vs. the Blazers, Ahzi had another nine kills in the losing effort, while Adeniyi, freshman outside hitter Haley Shimon (Des Moines, Iowa) and freshman outside hitter Erica Cappellino (Penfield, N.Y.) had eight kills each. Cappellino's eight kills was a new career-hig and Ahzi had a career-high five blocks. Toth had 19 assists and Mendez registered 11 helpers in the loss, while Visvardis had 10 digs leading the River Hawks' defense.

UMass Lowell returns to action in the final day UAB Invitational on Saturday, September 19th with a 1 p.m. match against Jacksonville State at Bartow Arena.