PENSACOLA, Fla. | The University of Alabama in Huntsville volleyball team fell to Montevallo 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 20-25) in the semifinal round at the 2021 Gulf South Conference Volleyball Championships on Saturday afternoon at the UWF Fieldhouse. UAH slips to 21-9, while UM improves to 21-13.
 
The Chargers now await their fate within the South Region, as UAH was ranked No. 6 within the region earlier this week by the championships committee. The selection show for the 2021 NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships is set for Monday at 6:30 p.m. CT with the top eight from the region making the tournament.
 
Freshman Zharia Hubbard had a strong all-around performance for the Chargers with a team-high 11 kills and .375 hitting percentage while pacing the team defensively with seven total blocks.
 
Both Molly Presnell and Kendall Scharbert had seven kills on Saturday to rank second to Hubbard, followed by Gracie McGee and Paris Morris with six successful swats apiece.
 
Sabrina Duncan generated her ninth double-double of the 2021 season as she posted 32 assists to go along with a team-leading 13 digs. She tied for the team lead in digs with Katie Sharp and Presnell who both had 13 scoops as well.
 
Shayla Libby joined the trio in double-digit digs with 10 on the day while also adding a team-high three service aces.
 
UAH opened up the GSC tournament semifinals matchup with a 25-20 win in the first, as the Chargers amassed a nine-point rally in the stanza to take a commanding lead.
 
The Chargers fought back at the end of the second set with a three-point swing to make it a one-point game at 24-23, but Montevallo would take the ensuing point to tie the match at 1-1.
 
The Falcons started strong in the third set to build a lead of nine at 17-8 and that advantage would hold with UM taking the set 25-20. UAH again showed resiliency in the fourth with a late 4-0 run before Montevallo sealed the match victory with another 25-20 win in the fourth.
 
This was the program's 20th GSC tournament appearance and 16th appearance in the GSC tournament semifinals.