Collegiate Beach Bash: Meet the UAB Blazers

The University of Alabama-Birmingham beach volleyball team will be one of six NCAA beach teams competing in the Collegiate Beach Bash on November 12, 2016.

Nov 7, 2016 by Megan Kaplon

Collegiate Beach Bash: Meet the UAB Blazers

The Collegiate Beach Bash is a fall exhibition college beach volleyball tournament hosted by RallyVB in Emerson, Georgia, and featuring six East Coast NCAA teams.

FloVolleyball will be live-streaming all the action from the LakePoint Sporting Community, beginning at 9 AM ET on Saturday, November 12.

Each day leading up to the first serve at LakePoint, we'll profile one of the teams that will participate in the Collegiate Beach Bash.

On Sunday, we introduced UNC Wilmington's beach squad. Today, get to know the Blazers of the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

UAB was one of the first NCAA Division I schools to adopt the sport of beach volleyball. In 2012, the Blazers fielded their inaugural beach team with members of the indoor program and finished the season 6-4 overall.

In the 2015-16 beach volleyball season, UAB finished with a 13-16 overall record in a much larger and more competitive NCAA field.

Ashley Hardee, an associate head coach for the UAB indoor team, is currently serving as the interim head beach volleyball coach after the departure of former coach Bailey Coleman.

The Pairs

1. Tressa Buckland and Avery Hoven

Tressa Buckland and Avery Hoven are both returners from the 2016 squad. A redshirt junior, Hoven played at the No. 2, 3, and 4 spots with partners Michaela Reesor and Chelsi Carter for an overall record of 14-17. Buckland, a 5-foot-10 sophomore from Park City, Utah, played the entire 2016 season with Avei Logoleo but bounced around in the lineup, playing at the No. 2, 3, 4, and 5 spots. Buckland and Logoleo finished the season with a 15-14 record.

2. Rachel Evans and Gabbi Moreno

Sophomore Rachel Evans played her first season of NCAA beach volleyball alongside Amber Treace, a setter for the UAB indoor squad. Playing at the No. 3, 4, and 5 spots, Evans and Treace collected a 4-11 record. Gabbi Moreno paired with indoor defensive specialist and libero Emily Martinez in 2016, charting a 17-14 record at the No. 4 and 5 spots.

3. Katarina Jovicic and Morgan Smith

Katarina Jovicic came to UAB after finishing her undergraduate career at Columbia, where she was a middle hitter on the indoor team. With 285 total blocks in her career, the 6-3 Ontario native ranks third all-time at the Ivy League school. Her new beach partner, Morgan Smith, is one of two freshmen who have joined the Blazers beach program for 2017.

UAB Beach Volleyball Roster

No.	Name	Yr.	Ht.	Hometown/Previous School
22	Tressa Buckland	So.	5-10	Park City, Utah/Park City HS
13	Rachel Evans	So.	5-8	St. Petersburg, Florida/Northside Christian HS
5	Avery Hoven	RS Jr.	5-11	Hoover, Alabama/Mercer
	Katarina Jovicic	Gr.	6-3	Toronto, Ontario/Columbia
14	Gabbi Moreno	Jr.	5-10	Houston, Texas/Glenda Dawson HS
	Morgan Smith	Fr.	5-7	Liberty Township, Ohio/Lakota East HS