Beach Volleyball set for weekend UNA Invitational - University of North Alabama Athletics (2024)

Drew Barton

FLORENCE, Ala. (March 7, 2024) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team will have its first home outing of the season when hosting the UNA Invitational March 8-9 at the UNA Spring Sports Complex at the corner of Cox Creek Parkway and Chisholm Road in Florence.

The Lions will welcome three teams to the UNA Beach Volleyball Courts this weekend, including their first Atlantic Sun Conference matchup with Austin Peay. UNA faces the Govs, Carson Newman and in-state foe Jacksonville State in the two-day invitational.

The first of two home events this season, North Alabama preps for the weekend after spending the first two weekends in Louisiana. Playing in the Green Wave Invitational and the Tiger Beach Classic, the Lions are off to a 5-3 start, including two wins over Power Five opponents — Oregon and Nebraska.

Senior Taylor Seney and graduate Paula Klemperer continue to be the standard in the ASUN, winning their second-consecutive and third overall ASUN Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week honor Wednesday. The two continued their strong 7-1 start to the season with three wins at the Tiger Beach Classic last time out, having secured a win over the top flight pairs of No. 7 LSU, Nebraska and Tulane.

The UNA Invitational will open with the Lions facing Carson Newman at 9 a.m. on Friday, with the second match against Jacksonville State at 1 p.m. later that day. Saturday begins with the second North Alabama vs. Carson Newman bout at 9 a.m. before concluding with the ASUN matchup against Austin Peay at 1 p.m.

Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following the action. Fans can also follow along on the UNA Beach Volleyball social media pages.

MATCH 1

North Alabama vs. Carson Newman
Friday, March 8, 2024
9 a.m.

MATCH 2

North Alabama vs. Jacksonville State
Friday, March 8, 2024
1 p.m.

MATCH 3

North Alabama vs. Carson Newman
Saturday, March 9, 2024
9 a.m.

MATCH 4

North Alabama vs. Austin Peay
Saturday, March 9, 2024
1 p.m.

NOTES
SPRING 2023 RECAP: The Lions had their highest win total in program history in 2023, finishing with 20 wins for a fourth-place showing in the ASUN standings. The Lions also had an appearance in the 2023 Atlantic Sun Conference Beach Volleyball Championship, where they finished with two wins at the tournament against Jacksonville and Austin Peay.

FALL 2023 RECAP: UNA comes into the season with added experience after taking part in the first fall season in program history in 2023. UNA played in two tournaments and one invitational, totaling 39 wins across four events. The Lions also earned two bids to the AVCA Collegiate Beach Championships, which saw Klemperer, Seney, Mackenzie Martin and Selma Robinson compete in the first appearance in program history. The four advanced to the championship bracket out of pool play in a field that included numerous Power Five programs, with Klemperer/Seney finishing 23rd and Martin/Robinson finishing 29th.

SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA enters the weekend with a 5-3 record. North Alabama received votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll for the first time ever, receiving two votes for the top 20. UNA has been tough to beat from the first flight, with Seney and Klemperer checking in at 7-1 through eight matches. The second flight pair of Robinson and junior Katy Floyd have also been strong with the two matching Seney/Klemperer at 7-1. North Alabama averages a 4.4-point margin of victory in five wins this season.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES: Carson Newman makes the trip to Florence as the only Division II team entering the invitational. Playing in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC), the Eagles have started the season 11-1 after playing in three weekend events so far. After dropping their opening-day match to Liberty, the Eagles have not lost since, winning their last 11 matches. The top-flight pair for Carson Newman are Sierra Still and Truth Haley, who are undefeated with a 12-0 record. The Eagles head coach is Cat Lind.

SCOUTING THE GAMEco*ckS: Jacksonville State opens its season this weekend at the UNA Invitational, competing against Austin Peay and North Alabama to open the slate. The Gameco*cks will look for their first win since the ASUN Tournament on April 24, 2022 after finishing with an 0-20-3 record in 2023. JSU's Gracie Danzinger and Luci Wilkerson led the Gameco*cks with five wins in 2023. The head coach for Jacksonville State is Derek Schroeder in his first season after indoor head coaching stints at Samford and Mercer.

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS JACKSONVILLE STATE: The Lions and Gameco*cks are meeting for the seventh time in the series, with North Alabama leading 6-0. UNA looks to continue its unbeaten streak against the Gameco*cks, beating Jacksonville State three times in 2022. The last matchup resulted in a 4-1 win for the Lions in the ASUN Beach Volleyball Tournament on April 22, 2022.

SCOUTING THE GOVERNORS: In the ASUN opener for North Alabama, Austin Peay takes on the UNA Invitational in their third outing of the season. The Govs started 3-4 on the season, opening their season with three-straight wins against Tusculum, Morehead State and Liberty. Austin Peay finds themselves on a four-game skid, looking to get back in the win column against Jacksonville State in its first match at the invitational. Kelsey Mead and Aurora Bibolotti lead from the top flight with four wins on the season. The Governors head coach is Ginny Busse in her first season.

SERIES HISTORY VS AUSTIN PEAY: The series between Austin Peay and North Alabama dates back to UNA's first season in Division I. This weekend marks the 14th meeting since 2019. UNA leads the series 9-4, including a five-match win streak against the Govs. North Alabama played Austin Peay four times in 2023, with the last matchup resulting in a 4-1 win by UNA at the ASUN Conference Beach Volleyball Tournament on April 22, 2023.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit

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