ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The University of West Alabama volleyball team completed an unbeaten weekend at the Reddie-Tiger Invitational on Saturday, earning a pair of straight-set victories over Texas A&M International and Erskine at the Sturgis Physical Education Center.
West Alabama defeated Texas A&M International 25-20, 25-14, 25-18 before closing the tournament with a 25-20, 25-18, 25-14 victory over Erskine. The two wins moved the Tigers to
7-1 overall and gave UWA four victories in two days after Friday's wins over LeMoyne-Owen and Henderson State.
West Alabama 3, Texas A&M International 0
West Alabama opened Saturday by hitting .403 as a team while holding Texas A&M International to a .119 attack percentage. The Tigers committed just seven attacking errors on 77 attempts and finished with 38 kills.
Jazlyn Snow led the UWA attack with 10 kills and just one error on 14 attempts for a .643 hitting percentage.
Duru Seber added eight kills while hitting .583, while Klára Bobánová finished with seven kills and a .400 percentage.
Katerina Korre and
Ola Winiarek each contributed six kills.
Rachele Zanini directed the offense with 30 assists, while
Bailey Keef led the back row with nine digs. Winiarek added seven digs and three service aces, while Korre also recorded three aces. UWA finished with nine service aces as a team.
The opening set remained close before the Tigers broke a 17-17 tie and scored eight of the final 11 points. Korre closed the 25-20 win with a service ace.
UWA took control immediately in the second, jumping out to a 5-0 advantage behind two kills from Seber and two from Bobánová. The Dustdevils cut the lead to 11-9, but the Tigers responded and eventually pulled away for a 25-14 victory. Snow accounted for four of UWA's final five points with kills.
The Tigers again created separation early in the third. Keef helped turn a 3-2 advantage into an 8-2 lead from the service line, recording two aces during the run. Texas A&M International later cut the margin to 13-12, but UWA answered and closed the match 25-18 on a block from Korre and Snow.
West Alabama 3, Erskine 0
West Alabama carried the momentum into the afternoon match, producing 45 kills and hitting .386 while limiting Erskine to 23 kills and a .067 attack percentage. The Tigers hit .389 in the first set, .433 in the second and .318 in the third.
Korre paced the Tigers with 12 kills on 24 swings while hitting .375 and finishing with a match-high 14 points. Bobánová added eight kills on 15 attempts for a .467 percentage, while Seber and
Cadence Goeden each recorded seven kills. Seber hit .600 with just one error on 10 attempts.
Zanini recorded 35 assists to go along with five digs and an ace. Keef led UWA with 10 digs, while Bobánová, Korre and
Charlotte Kerscher each collected six. The Tigers also finished with six team blocks.
The opening frame was tied at 17 before West Alabama put together a decisive stretch. Korre recorded an ace and Bobánová followed with a kill as UWA built a 21-17 advantage. Goeden eventually put the set away with a kill for the 25-20 victory.
UWA hit a match-best .433 in the second set. With the Tigers leading 16-13, UWA rattled off seven consecutive points to take a 20-13 advantage, a run that included kills from Snow, Goeden and Zanini. Korre finished the set with three of UWA's final five points as the Tigers won 25-18.
Erskine held an 11-9 advantage in the third before the Tigers took over. UWA scored nine consecutive points behind Zanini's serve to turn the two-point deficit into an 18-11 lead. The run included kills from Bobánová and Korre and a block from Seber and Bobánová. West Alabama went on to finish the sweep 25-14 on a kill from
Mia McGuire.
Up Next
West Alabama returns to Livingston for its home opener and the UWA Invitational next week at Pruitt Hall.
The Tigers begin the home slate Tuesday, Sept. 8, against Albany State at 1 p.m. before facing the United States Sports Academy at 7 p.m. UWA returns to the court Thursday, Sept. 10, against Talladega College at 4 p.m. and Miles College at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 8
1 p.m. – West Alabama vs. Albany State
7 p.m. – West Alabama vs. United States Sports Academy
Thursday, Sept. 10
4 p.m. – West Alabama vs. Talladega College
6 p.m. – West Alabama vs. Miles College
All four matches will be played inside Pruitt Hall in Livingston, Alabama.
