Alabama Volleyball Opens 2022 Season Hosting Crimson Tide Invitational

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama volleyball opens its 2022 season and its first under head coach Rashinda Reed this weekend at Foster Auditorium, hosting the Crimson Tide Invitational Presented by Holiday Inn Express Tuscaloosa-University. The Tide will face McNeese (12:30 p.m. CT) and UTSA (7 p.m. CT) on Friday before closing the weekend against Southern Miss (3 p.m. CT) on Saturday.

All three matches will be streamed live on the SEC Network Plus, which is available at WatchESPN.com or on the ESPN app.

This Week: Crimson Tide Invitational

• Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Foster Auditorium
• Friday, Aug. 26

  • vs. McNeese – 12:30 p.m. CT
  • vs. UTSA – 7 p.m. CT

• Saturday, Aug. 27 vs. Southern Miss – 3 p.m. CT

Scouting Alabama

• Alabama welcomes McNeese, UTSA and Southern Miss to Foster Auditorium for the Crimson Tide Invitational to open the season
• It marks the first time since 2011 that the Tide will open its season with a home tournament
• Head Coach Rashinda Reed enters her first season leading Alabama in 2022
• All four head coaches at this weekend’s tournament are in their first year at their respective programs
• The Tide returns 14 players from last year’s squad, including seniors Taylor Drapp, Emily Janek, Dru Kuck, Katie Shook and Alyiah Wells and fifth-year senior Abby Marjama
• Newcomers this year include freshman Micah Gryniewicz, an AVCA All-Region honoree from Chandler, Ariz., and sophomore Maddy McCormick, who played at Colorado State last season

• Alabama enters the 2022 season under first year head coach Rashinda Reed
• Reed spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois, making four NCAA Tournament trips with the Fighting Illini
• The four postseason appearances include a pair of Sweet 16 berths in 2017 and 2021 and a semifinal run in 2018 as the No. 3 national seed
• Working primarily with Illinois’ middle blockers, Reed mentored two-time AVCA All-American Ali Bastianelli and two-time All-Big Ten honoree Ashlyn Fleming
• Prior to her time at Illinois, Reed was an assistant coach at The University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2016, at Northeastern University in 2015 and Binghamton University from 2011-14
• In 2012, the Bearcats won the American East Conference Championship to secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament
• She coached seven all-conference honorees at Binghamton, including the 2014 Rookie of the Year…