The Crimson Tide will be back in action on Friday Nov. 9, when they take on the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky is 17-8 on the season and 11-4 in the Southeastern Conference.

Coming off a 3-1 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs last Sunday, the Alabama volleyball team will look to build on past success. Alabama finished with a season-high 14 blocks led by senior Leigh Moyer with six total blocks last weekend. Head coach Ed Allen is pleased with this momentum shift and looks for forward growth.

“We are continuing to make progress every week. We won in four, probably did not play the first set as competitively and as consistently as we were capable of,” Allen said. “All in all we were pleased from the standpoint that it was a difficult match that we would have not won last year with the physical talents of that team or their competitive desire.”

Allen added that improving on the squad’s consistency during matchups is key. The adjustment from different starting line-ups to having seven acquired freshman plays a huge role as well.

Freshman Laura Steiner had 11 kills against Mississippi State Sunday. Steiner was a three-time first team all-conference selection for Fort Collins High School. She was also named the Front Range Conference Player of the Year in 2011. Competing on the collegiate level, she is grouped with the other six in her class as very poised freshman athletes.

Alongside Steiner, freshman teammate Sierra Wilson is fine-tuning as the season progresses. Wilson was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 17 and was the first freshman to start at setter since 2004 for the Tide. She had 32 assists, nine digs, four kills and three blocks in her debut at the Beanpot Classic to open the 2012 season. Taking on the responsibility for running the offense and reading the defense against opponents, Wilson held her composure and performed. As a result, she was named to the Beanpot Classic All-Tournament Team. Wilson is third in the SEC and ranks 47th in the country with 10.81 assists per set.

Looking ahead, Allen is making preparations for Kentucky this weekend.

“They’re one of the best four teams in the league, on any given night, can be as good as anybody in the league,” Allen said. “They are very offensive-minded and a solid defensive team with consistent ball control.”