The No. 1 seed University of Alabama in Huntsville closed out its Gulf South Volleyball Championship run in the semifinals after dropping a 2-3 match to the No. 4 Lee Flames.
The Flames took the early lead in Set 1 behind a 8-1 run to open the match. UAH began to find its footing late in the match, down 15-4, when the Chargers scored five straight points to pull within six. A few traded points later, UAH continued to whittle down the Flames' lead, 18-14, behind a trio of points with Emily Redman recording a kill while Kayla Ward and Cooper Garrett combined for a block. Lee, however, pulled away to close the set with a 25-17 win.
Set 2 began with a couple Flames points, but UAH had its answer ready as Ward kicked off a six-point rally with two straight kills before Redman delivered a pair of service aces and Amelia Smith added another kill to take a 6-2 lead. UAH continued to pile on the points in spurts as Smith began another three-point swing with a kill before Anna Clare Hutto added a service ace and Mary Grace Bundrant notched a kill for a 14-6 lead. The Chargers piled on the points to close the set with an 11-7 scoring advantage to take Set 2, 25-13, as Bundrant delivered the decisive kill to take the set.
Whereas the first two sets had an early leader, the third set was a more contentious set of rallies. Lee earned the early lead, 5-1, before UAH cut the Flames' lead down to two, 8-6. Again, however, Lee expanded on its lead with a five-point rally before UAH found its offense with a four-point run to cut the Lee lead back to 15-13. The Chargers continued to push Lee, tying the score at 18 behind three kills with Bundrant, Ward and Redman each recording one in the three-point run. Lee, though, found its footing to take Set 3, 25-22, to take a 2-1 lead.
In a must-win fourth set, UAH started off well with three straight points as Ward hit a pair of kills to open the frame. Lee managed to move ahead, 5-3, but the next several exchanges kept both sides in a tightly contested set seven times, the last coming at 19-19. From there, however, UAH dropped six points on Lee to the Flames' two to force a final fifth set on a 25-21 win.
Lee opened the final set on a 7-1 run. UAH challenged the Flames' lead as the Chargers got within four, 10-6, but Lee closed the set and match on a 15-7 win.
IN THE STATS
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Three Chargers scored double-digits with Kayla Ward leading the way with 14. Mary Grace Bundrant and Amelia Smith each recorded another 12. Ella Schumacher added another nine in the match.
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UAH recorded eight blocks to Lee's 14. Ward led the Chargers with four total blocks, including one solo. Smith added another three total blocks with two coming on solo stops. Bundrant and Cooper Garrett each added another two total blocks.
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Anna Clare Hutto led UAH in digs with 12 while Garrett added another 11. Emily Redman added another nine and Sydney Durban eight.
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Garrett led UAH with 26 assists while Hutto added 20.
COMING UP
The Chargers will await their postseason fate with the NCAA DII volleyball selection show live streaming on Sunday, Nov. 15.
