HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville volleyball team started off the 2021 campaign with a 3-0 win (25-19, 25-19, 27-25) over Emmanuel followed by a 3-1 win (25-13, 27-25, 24-26, 31-29) against Ouachita Baptist to wrap up day one of the UAH Invitational, presented by the Huntsville Sports Commission, at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall on Friday.
 
UAH looks ahead to Saturday with one more match in the UAH Invitational, which is set for 1:30 p.m. against Trevecca Nazarene.
 
UAH 3, EC 0
The Chargers cruised to a pair of 25-19 wins in both the first and second sets on Friday, before a back-and-forth third frame forced UAH to overcome a late deficit to clinch the match victory 27-25.
 
The Chargers offense benefitted from a balanced attack with seven players accumulating two kills or more, led by Gracie McGee and Molly Presnell with nine kills apiece.
 
Presnell additionally boasted 12 digs to rank second on the squad, as Shayla Libby anchored the defense with a roster-high 15 digs. Paris Morris also had a strong defensive match with a team-high five total blocks.
 
Sabrina Duncan notched her first double-double of the season with 30 assists and 10 digs in the match to go along with five kills.
 
UAH 3, OBU 1
UAH leapt out to a 2-0 match lead with a convincing 25-14 win in the first, followed by a come from behind 27-25 edge in the second stanza. OBU rebounded for a 26-24 win in the third, before the Chargers persevered in the fourth with a 31-29 victory to seal the match win.


Freshman Paris Morris guided the UAH attack in the win over Ouachita Baptist with a match-best 17 kills on a .382 hitting percentage. Both Emma Jarrett and Zharia Hubbard joined Morris in double-digit kills with 13 and 10, respectively.
 
Duncan registered another strong overall performance during game two of the day, boasting 50 assists, 17 digs, five kills, three total blocks and two service aces.
 
Libby paced the UAH defense with 34 digs in the contest, followed by Duncan's 17 scoops and Molly Presnell's 13 digs. Libby's 34 digs are a career-best for the junior.