LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama volleyball team picked up a straight-set victory over Christian Brothers University, Thursday night from Pruitt Hall to open the final homestand of the regular season. 

With the win, the Tigers end an eight-match losing skid and improve to 5-23 on the season and 1-12 in Gulf South Conference (GSC) play. The Lady Bucs fell to 2-23 and 1-12. After falling to CBU earlier in the season, UWA picked up the series split with the victory on Thursday. 

"In four of our last five matches, we played with a lot of intensity, but we just did not know how to finish. Tonight, we finished the game strong; our third set was the most dominant of the three sets. This shows us that we are willing to learn and grow in our game, said head coach John Schmidt.

"It's a little late in our season to see something bigger, but we're still looking for moral victories and build momentum as the future starts to build."

With the Lady Bucs up 9-7 in the opening set, the Tigers flipped the scoreboard with a 10-2 run. In the first rally of five straight points, the home team racked up three straight kills from Chyna Dixon, Amelia Johnigan and Ally Craig to take the 10-9 lead.

After CBU won the next two points to make it 12-11, UWA earned the side-out on an attack error. Late, following a Jaida Alvin service ace, Ally Craig spiked a kill for the 16-11 lead. 

The visitors did get back into the match with a 6-1 run to make it 20-19, but after another attack error by CBU, the Tigers finished the frame on a 5-1 run to win the opener, 25-20. 

After UWA scored the first three points of the second stanza, CBU won six of the next seven points to flip the scoreboard to 6-4. 

Trailing 9-6, West Alabama achieved the side-out on a Johanna Martin kill and reclaimed the lead, 10-9, on three straight attack errors. 

The set felt like a see-saw, with no team having more than a three-point lead at one point. Christian Brothers rallied from a 22-19 deficit to force "lingering death" thanks to a 5-2 run. 

Tied at 24, UWA quickly earned the side-out with CBU's fifth attack error of the night. On the next point, Mya Carter gave the home team the 2-0 match lead with a spike. 

The third set was streaky, beginning with CBU clinching the first four points, but the momentum quickly swing to the Tigers with seven straight points and a 17-2 run to roll to a 25-16 victory to win the contest. 

For the match, UWA posted 41 kills on the night, and the team's 16 attack errors are the second-fewest in a match this season. Additionally, the Tigers posted a .200 swing percentage or better in a contest for the first time this season with a .278 mark. 

The home team also gave the serve defense fits, tallying 11 service aces in the contest, marking the ninth time this season they had double-digit aces in a match. 

It was also a block party for West Alabama, as Amelia Johnigan and Johanna Mart each had four assisted blocks. 

Ally Craig led the Tigers' offense with 10 kills on a .421 swing percentage with two errors on 19 swings. The senior also added eight digs and three block assists. Posting double digits in the kill category in six of her last eight matches, she is one away from 700 in her career. 

Jaida Alvin's 11.5 points came from her eight kill and three service aces. The freshman carded a .263 attack percentage with three errors on 19 swings. Quiara Dunson posted 12 digs to lead the UWA defense.

Mya Carter contributed eight kills and three assisted blocks, while Berfin Mertcan added 21 assists, three aces and seven digs. 

The Tiger defense held the Lady Bucs to 24 kills on the night and an .048 percentage. Addison Waggoner led the visitors with six kills. 

West Alabama will next prepare for Union at home on Friday evening at 6 p.m.