LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Freshman outside hitter Morgan Ray made her presence known Friday with 17 kills in the second match to lift the University of West Alabama volleyball team (1-1) to a 3-0 win against tournament host Henderson State.
 
With the victory, UWA earned a split after falling, 3-0, to Texas A&M Commerce to begin the 2012 season. The Tigers now have a quick turnaround with two matches on Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m.
 
“Morgan had a great day,” said interim head coach Mike Shearer. “It was good to see her really attack the ball the way she did, and I could not have asked for a more solid day from her.”
 
Even though the final score was 3-0 in favor of UWA, the Tigers had to fight through some adversity to take the win. In the first game, neither team led by more than two points in the 26-24 final. 
 
Battling in the second game to a 25-23 final, the Tigers fought off several runs from the Reddies, but trailed only once during the frame. With the score at 24-23, it was newcomer Toni Gottschalck who delivered a kill to solidify UWA's win.
 
The Tigers then took the third game with relative ease to pick up the victory. UWA led by as many as nine (19-10) midway through the set and held on for the 25-18 win to take the match.  
 
“I was proud of the way our girls responded today. In the first match, we played a talented team that had everybody back from last season, so we knew it was going to be tough. We had some close moments in those first two games against Henderson State, but I was proud of the way we made a statement in the third game to get our first win,” added Shearer.
 
UWA's first match could not have been more different than the squad's 3-0 win over HSU. The Tigers struggled from the start, as Texas A&M Commerce used a .404 attack percentage to oust UWA in three games.
 
On the day, the Tigers were led by Ray's 27 kills and four service aces in two matches. Also helping the UWA cause was senior Chanel Davis, who finished with a .279 attack percentage and three blocks. Senior Tazra Pitts led the team in blocks with four (two solo), while Casey Williams paced the squad with a .955 serving percentage.
 
West Alabama now faces Lemoyne-Owen at 10 a.m. before going against Gulf South Conference foe Alabama-Huntsville at Noon on Saturday.