Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Good play by UAB and some mental mistakes by Samford made for a tough night at Bartow Arena Wednesday as the Bulldogs were swept by the Blazers.
 
"We showed some immaturity tonight," said Head Coach Derek Schroeder.  "It's something we'll have to work through and correct moving forward.  UAB played a great match."
 
Samford (3-2) was limited to a season-low .106 attack percentage with 18 errors on 85 swings.  The Bulldogs' serve receive was uncharacteristically sloppy as well with nine receiving errors.  Samford's offensive effort was led by Katie Murphy with nine kills and a .389 attack percentage, while SoCon Freshman of the Week Erin Bognar was close behind with seven kills.  Freshman Erika Pifer saw her first collegiate action and led the Bulldogs with 13 assists while Michaela Reesor and Chelsi Carter led the defense with eight digs each.
 
UAB (4-1) hit hard and never relented, outscoring Samford 56-35 with Sam Skinner and Kiriana Hirini both in double-digit kills.  Skinner and Ally Slaughter both excelled at the service line as well, accounting for seven of the Blazers' nine service aces.
 
Mental mistakes hurt the Bulldogs early in the opening set, as UAB built a 10-4 lead, capped by back-to-back service aces.  The teams traded points back and forth and the Bulldogs took a timeout trailing 14-8 after gaining possession from a kill by Bognar.  UAB continued to hold the lead, reaching set point off a kill by Skinner up 24-16 and sealing the set win off a kill by Slaughter to make it 25-16.
 
UAB capitalized on more mistakes to open up set two, as they built a 3-0 lead after three consecutive Bulldog errors.  A kill by Emily Meitz got the Bulldogs on the board in set two, trailing 6-1, but a service error gave the home team a point and possession.  Samford bounced back to score five unanswered points and draw within one, trailing 7-6, as UAB took a timeout.  Later with UAB leading 11-10, the Blazers scored five unanswered points, including three consecutive service aces, to pull ahead 16-10 and force a Bulldog timeout.  Samford narrowed it to a four-point deficit multiple times during the set, eventually drawing within three as UAB had set point, 24-21.  A kill by Hirini sealed it however as the Blazers went on to win 25-21 and take a 2-0 lead into the locker room.
 
Samford started well in set three, taking their first lead of the match after a kill by Bognar to move up 3-2 early.  UAB bounced back to score six unanswered as Samford took a timeout trailing 8-3.  Samford continued to chip away at the lead but hit a wall trailing 20-14, as UAB scored five in a row to win the set, 25-14, and complete the sweep.

This weekend, Samford heads to Nashville, Tenn., for the Lipscomb Invitational.  Samford will play three matches over two days, starting with South Alabama (10 a.m.) and Lipscomb (7:30 p.m.) on Friday, Sept. 6 and concluding with Jacksonville State (Noon) on Saturday, Sept. 7.

The match at Lipscomb on Friday, Sept. 6 will be broadcast on ESPN3 with a start time set for 7:30 p.m. CT.