The Alabama volleyball team opened its season this past weekend at the Hawkeye Challenge in Iowa City, Iowa, playing three different teams over the course of the weekend, going 1-2 for the weekend.

On Friday, the team fell to the host team Iowa in four sets. 3-1 (23-25, 25-14, 29-27, 25-19). Though the team lost, sophomore Kayla Fitterer and freshman Brianne Vande Griend combined for 28 of Alabama’s 47 kills in the Tide’s first match. Sophomore Kelsey Anderson had a match-high tying 19 digs, while senior Kayla Schmidt dished out a team-best 22 assists.

Despite opening their season at 0-1, the team came back strong on Saturday to sweep Green Bay 3-0 (25-23, 25-8, 25-13) for their first win of the 2010 season, improving to 1-1. Career-best hitting percentages from redshirt sophomore Leigh Moyer and sophomore Fitterer helped the Alabama volleyball team to an overall hitting percentage of .372.

Fitterer, who collected double-figure kills for the second time in as many days, had a match-best 14 kills with zero errors for an overall percentage of .500. She was followed by redshirt sophomore Leigh Moyer who hit .750 with nine kills and zero errors off 12 attempts. Senior Kayla Schmidt also set a new career-high with four service aces, including three in the first set. On defense, sophomore Kelsey Anderson recorded a match-best 15 digs.

The Tide held Green Bay to an overall hitting percentage of just .081 for the match. Alabama out-dug the Phoenix 49-33 and had eight service aces compared to Green Bay’s four. The Phoenix did top the Tide in blocks 3.0-1.0.

Then the Tide fell in its last tournament match to Southern Illinois 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-23) on Sunday.

Senior Alyssa Meuth led all hitters in the match with 16 kills, which is two shy of her career high. Vande Griend hit .429 in the match with eight kills and two errors off 14 attempts. Both sophomores Kelsey Anderson and Fitterer registered double-figure digs in the match with 12 and 10, respectively.

For the match, the Salukis hit .344 compared to the Tide’s .284. However Alabama collected five more kills than Southern Illinois 45-40. The Salukis were dominant at the net registering 7.0 blocks to the Tide’s zero rejections. Alabama out-dug Southern Illinois 41-26.

Though the Tide came away 1-2, Anderson was named to the Hawkeye Challenge All-Tournament team on Sunday. She was one of eight selected by the coaches of participating teams.

Next up, Alabama hosts its only home tournament of the season when it welcomes Toledo, Furman and UAB to Tuscaloosa for the 2010 Bama Bash.