MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The University of West Alabama volleyball team started off the night with a set victory against Auburn University at Montgomery, but three straight wins by the Warhawks gave the home team the 3-1 victory, Tuesday night from the AUM Athletics Complex in a Gulf South Conference contest. 

AUM keeps its chances of a top-four seed in the GSC Championship alive with two weekends to go in regular season play, as the Warhawks are now 20-8 and 9-4 in conference play. UWA falls to 4-23 and 1-12. 

The Tigers had one of their best productions on the attack in GSC play in the opening set, posting a percentage of .364 thanks to 10 kills on 22 total attacks and committing just two errors. 

The Warhawks did score the first four points of the set and five of the first set to get out to a 5-2 lead. 

Later in the frame, trailing 17-12, UWA went on a run to take its first lead of the match with six straight points. After three straight AUM attack errors, Peyton Quesnel evened the set with a spike from Chyna Dixon. The Tigers immediately took the lead on the next point on the Warhawks' fourth attack error in five points. 

AUM did reclaim the lead briefly, 19-18, but UWA finished the set on a 7-3 run to clinch set number one. The home team's seventh attack error was the one that gave the visitors the victory, 25-22. 

In the second set, UWA and AUM went back and forth with neither team having the advantage. After UWA recorded the 14-13 lead after a Johanna Martin kill, AUM went on a 7-1 run to reclaim the lead for good en route to a 25-18 set victory. 

In the third set, things were going right for West Alabama early, sprinting out to a 7-2 lead after a service ace by Kenzie Nalls and kills by Mya Carter and Martin. 

UWA would extend the lead to 22-14 after a Peyton Quesnel kill and three straight attack errors by AUM's offense. However, the Warhawks went on a 9-1 run to tie the set at 23. Jaida Alvin did get the Tigers to set point on the next rally with a kill, but three straight points by the Warhawks clinched the match, 26-24, and the 2-1 set advantage. 

Once the momentum went over to AUM after being down 24-23 in the third, it stayed with the Warhawks, as they got out to a 10-3 lead. After allowing West Alabama to 15 kills in the third set, Auburn Montgomery held its opponent to four in the fourth set as the Warhawks breezed past the Tigers, 25-10, to take the match in four sets. 

Ally Craig notched her third double-double of the season with a 13-dig, 11-kill effort on Tuesday night. The senior recorded a .241 swing percentage, committing four errors on 29 swings. 

Cloe Bonvillain recorded a career-high in digs with 12. 

For AUM, Keren Santana also tallied a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs. Totaling 16 points on the night, she added three aces and a solo block. 

With the road schedule in the rear-view mirror, West Alabama will have its final three matches inside Pruitt Hall to conclude the 2023 season. The final homestand begins on Thursday versus Christian Brothers for a 6 p.m. first serve.