Alabama
2-0,0-0SEC
UC Riverside
0-1,0-0Big West
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Riverside | 10 | 17 | 10 | 0 |
| Alabama | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Alabama Sweeps UC Riverside Saturday in Tuscaloosa
8/29/2026 7:37:00 PM | Volleyball
The Crimson Tide goes 2-0 on opening weekend
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama capped a 2-0 opening weekend with a Saturday sweep over UC Riverside at Foster Auditorium.
Alabama (2-0) didn't trail at any point in the match to UC Riverside (0-1), winning a lopsided 25-10 opening set before getting off to another hot start in the second, leading 10-4 early. The Highlanders would draw as close as four points, but the Tide remained in front the rest of the way, winning 25-17 to move ahead 2-0 in the match and finishing off the sweep with another 25-10 win in the third.
Laney Hennessee was one dig shy of a double-double, leading the team with 13 kills and nine digs while hitting .370. Mya Allen finished with double-digit kills for the second straight match, earning 10 in Saturday's sweep. Addison Engel and Leilia Toailoa led the team with five blocks and three aces, respectively, which were both career bests.
From Head Coach Rashinda Reed
"We are very mature – very steady. We're still learning to grow as a team. The response from yesterday's match to today's just shows the level of maturity. Although we're a younger team, I think they we're doing some things that I think, regardless of whatever the score looked like, we were pretty stable. You don't get to see all the time."
Highlights
- Alabama did not trail at any point in the match, with only three tie scores across all three sets
- Laney Hennessee led the team with 13 kills and tied Dionii Fraga for the team lead with nine digs
- For the second straight match, Mya Allen finished in double figures, earning 10 kills
- Addison Engel led the team with a career best five blocks
- Leilia Toailoa scored a career high three aces
Stat Leaders
- Kills: Laney Hennessee - 13
- Assists: Hannah Parant - 28
- Digs: Laney Hennessee, Dionii Fraga - 9
- Blocks: Addison Engel - 5
- Aces: Leilia Toailoa - 3
Set-by-Set Scores
- Set 1: Alabama 25, UC Riverside 10
- Set 2: Alabama 25, UC Riverside 17
- Set 3: Alabama 25, UC Riverside 10
Up Next: 2026 Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge (Starkville, Miss.)
- Thursday, Sept. 3 vs. Northwestern – 2 p.m. CT
- Friday, Sept. 4 vs. Iowa – 2 p.m. CT
