JACKSON, Tennessee – In a continued road trip through the Volunteer State, the University of Alabama in Huntsville earned its second Gulf South Conference win with a 3-1 victory against Union University Saturday afternoon.
The beginning of the first set was all Chargers (10-1, 2-0 GSC) as UAH scored six unanswered points against the Lady Bulldogs (4-9, 0-2) to open the match. Union got on the board with a smattering of points in response to the Chargers' opening attack, but UAH carried its momentum through the first set to a 25-15 win.
Ella Schumacher started off the second set with a kill for UAH, but Union found success following the point as the Lady Bulldogs pulled ahead to take a 4-3 lead. The Chargers responded with three straight points, capped by a Mary Grace Bundrant block, but Union retook the lead at 6-5 and never relinquished it the remainder of the set. The Chargers battled back, but dropped Set 2, 25-19, as the scored evened at one set each.
Set 3 started off with a couple quick points for UAH with Kayla Ward hitting another kill to take the 2-0 lead. The Chargers and the Lady Bulldogs traded points and the lead over the next several exchanges before Bundrant connected on a kill to take a 16-15 lead, at which point UAH refused to give up the lead the remainder of the set. The Chargers maintained a 10-5 advantage to close Set 3 as they retook the lead, 2-1, with a 25-20 win.
The fourth set began with a 4-1 UAH lead, punctuated by a Emily Redman ace and a combo block from Schumacher and Bundrant. Much like the previous set, both sides traded points and the lead for the next several minutes. UAH regained the lead late in the set, 17-16, with a kill from Schumacher and never gave it back. While Union cut the Chargers' lead down to one point on three occasions as the set came to a close, UAH held off the Lady Bulldogs to take it, 25-22.
IN THE STATS
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The Chargers connected on 41 kills, led by Kayla Ward's 12. UAH had 11 players record kills as Mary Grace Bundrant followed up with six while Ella Schumacher and Cooper Garrett each added five.
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Garrett led UAH in assists with 14 while Anna Clare Hutto added another 11. Brooklyn Stiles also added three more.
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UAH totaled eight solo blocks while Bundrant led UAH with four solo and 5.0 total. Ward totaled 3.0 blocks with a pair of solo stops.
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Stiles led the Chargers with 13 digs while Emily Redman recorded seven and Hutto another five.
COMING UP
UAH will face its third straight opponent in Tennessee at Trevecca Nazarene at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, in Nashville.
The Chargers' next home match will be on September 25 at 6 p.m. against Montevallo.
