MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Klára Bobánová delivered a record-breaking performance Friday night as the University of West Alabama volleyball team outlasted Montevallo in a five-set Gulf South Conference thriller, 3-2, inside Central State Bank Arena.
West Alabama took the match 21-25, 26-24, 25-11, 25-27, 17-15 in front of 478 fans.
Bobánová turned in a historic performance for the Tigers, finishing with a school-record 34 kills on 66 attacks while committing just six errors for a .424 hitting percentage. She added three block assists and finished with a match-high 35.5 points.
The 34 kills broke a UWA single-match record that had stood for seven years. Taylor Donato previously held the mark with 30 kills in a five-set match on Sep. 14, 2019.
Montevallo took the opening set 25-21 before West Alabama answered in a tightly contested second frame. The teams battled to a 24-24 tie before Bobánová delivered consecutive kills to close out a 26-24 victory and even the match at one set apiece.
UWA carried the momentum into the third set and produced its most dominant offensive stretch of the night. The Tigers hit .483 with 17 kills and just three errors, pulling away for a 25-11 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Montevallo responded in the fourth. The Falcons and Tigers traded points deep into the set before Montevallo secured consecutive kills to take the frame 27-25 and force a deciding fifth set.
The fifth set provided another back-and-forth battle. Montevallo found itself facing match point at 14-13 before a Montevallo service error tied the score. The Tigers moved ahead 15-14, but the Falcons answered to make it 15-15.
With the match hanging in the balance, Bobánová delivered her 34th kill of the night to put West Alabama ahead 16-15. A Montevallo attack error on the next point finished the comeback and gave the Tigers a 17-15 victory.
West Alabama also had a strong presence in the stands despite playing away from Pruitt Hall. A UWA student section made the trip to Montevallo, providing energy throughout the five-set battle and making its presence felt inside Central State Bank Arena as the Tigers fought through the decisive final points.
Bobánová was one of three Tigers to reach double figures offensively. Katerina Korre finished with 14 kills, three service aces and six digs, while Jazlyn Snow added 11 kills on a .417 hitting percentage along with five block assists. Ola Winiarek contributed eight kills and 12 digs.
Rachele Zanini directed the offense with 62 assists and 14 digs, while libero Bailey Keef anchored the back row with a team-high 21 digs and added four service aces. West Alabama finished the night with 71 kills, 68 assists, eight aces and 73 digs while hitting .261 as a team.
Montevallo totaled 69 kills and hit .232 for the match. Katie Wilkerson led the Falcons with 21 kills, while Eliza Tyrrell added 18.
Up Next
West Alabama continues its GSC road weekend Saturday, Oct. 3, when the Tigers travel to Huntsville to face UAH. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spragins Hall.
