Liberty Set to Host North Alabama for Alumni Weekend
9/15/2026 11:30:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
LYNCHBURG, Va. - Liberty (6-4) will celebrate alumni weekend with two matches against North Alabama (10-1), Thursday and Friday at Liberty Arena.
Quick Hits
Team Notes
Quick Hits
- North Alabama posted eight straight sweeps to open the season before earning a 3-2, reverse sweep of Samford last Friday. The Lions' first loss of the season came on Monday, as Florida State swept them. Three Lions (Reese Ricketts, Dylann Garner, Phoebe Reyes Fortunato) average at least three kills per set.
- Liberty is a perfect 11-0 all-time against North Alabama. However, three of those 11 matches have gone five sets. Last year, Liberty rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat UNA 3-2 in Houston. Carly O'Brien led the Lady Flames with 19 kills.
- The Lady Flames went 2-1 at the Hofstra Invitational this past weekend, facing a field which went a combined 66-19 last year. Liberty reverse swept Hofstra on Friday before downing 2025 MAAC champion Fairfield on Saturday.
- Jenna Otts was named CUSA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, as she averaged 4.27 kills per set at a .307 pace over four matches last week. She scored 15 kills at a .519 clip in a sweep at Radford and sent down a career-high 24 kills, including seven in the fifth set, of Liberty's 3-2 win at Hofstra.
- Sophomore Alison Bierwagen posted three double-doubles last week, giving her four for the season and 14 for her career. She helped Liberty hit .259 as a team for the week, including a season-best .400 at Radford on Tuesday.
- Freshman libero Melis Ural ranks seventh in CUSA with 3.63 digs per set overall. She has posted eight straight 10-dig matches, averaging 3.90 digs per set during that span.
Team Notes
- Prior to last year, the last time Liberty came back from a 2-0 deficit to win a match was 2016. The Lady Flames have posted two reverse sweeps under second-year Head Coach Jeremy White, going 11-2 in five-set matches during his tenure.
- Liberty assistant coach Kaleb VanDePerre served as North Alabama Head Beach Volleyball Coach from 2023 through 2026 before joining Coach White's staff.
- Liberty's .400 hitting percentage at Radford last Tuesday was the second time Liberty has hit .400 or better under second-year Head Coach Jeremy White. Liberty then hit .625 (11-1-16) during set five at Hofstra on Saturday, the highest single-set hitting percentage under Coach White.
- Last season, only three Lady Flames (Carly O'Brien, Jenna Otts and Paige Overcash) recorded at least one double-digit kill match. Through six matches this year, Liberty has already gotten at least one 10-kill match from six players (Layla Collins, Laney Daniell, Addison Hart, Carly O'Brien, Jenna Otts and Paige Overcash).
- After returning just 16.3 percent of its point production from 2024 to 2025, the Lady Flames bring back 86.8 percent of their point production from 2025 into this season.
- Liberty was voted second in the 2026 CUSA Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving one first-place vote. 2025 CUSA All-Conference second team selections Carly O'Brien, Jenna Otts and Paige Overcash all appeared on the 2026 CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team.
- Liberty was one of nine NCAA Division I volleyball programs who ended the 2025 regular season with a first-year head coach and 20 or more wins.
Players Mentioned
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DS/L
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