MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The University of Tennessee Southern volleyball team began Southern States Athletic Conference Championship play on Thursday. The Firehawks drew the eighth seed with a 4-9 SSAC record. Pool A members include first seed Mobile, fourth seed Loyola, fifth seed Point, and eighth seed UT Southern. UTS fell in four sets to Loyola, and stumbled in straight sets to Point.
UTS VS LOYOLA
The Firehawks got started with a kill by Emma Beardsley, but two quick runs by Loyola flipped the score to favor the WolfPack 7-3. The Firehawks would fight back with a couple of three point runs through the set, but LU continued to pull away. LU took the first set 25-13. Both teams would begin with a three-point run in the second set. UTS' run was powered by a LU attack error, and a pair of blocks by Morgan Avrit, Laura Howell, and Olivia Ward.
The Firehawks would fall behind just link in the opening set from a huge five point WolfPack swing. The Firehawks would chip away at the LU lead and trailed by one late in the set. LU won the second set 25-21.
In the third set, the Firehawks opened up with a 5-0 lead. The lead was propelled by kills by Avrit, Ward, and Beardsley. UTS would put together a couple more runs to hold a 16-9 lead. After a LU timeout, the WolfPack closed the UTS lead to one at 18-17. The Firehawks would hold on to force a fourth set with a 27-25 win in set three.
In the final set, UTS fell victim to a pair of five point LU runs that opened up a 21-7 deficit. LU took the final set 25-10.
UTS was led in Kills by Beardsley and Avrit. Beardsley had 11 terminations on 29 swings and Avrit had 11 kills on 48 attempts. Ward added 10 kills and 7 blocks. Howell posted 32 assists in the 5-1 rotation. Isabella Garza led in attack defense with 20 digs.
UTS VS POINT
In a first set with seven ties. UTS and Point traded the lead four times. In the late stages of the match, Point would win the final two sets in a row to take the first set 26-24.
In the second set, UTS worked out to an early 5-3 lead powered by kills from Avrit and Sophia Ortega. The Firehawks would begin to pull away via two four point runs leading 15-7. The pair of runs included two service aces from Garza, three kills from Beardsley, and a kill each from Dani Medina and Avrit. The Skyhawks answered with three large point runs to tie the match at 24. PU took set two 26-24.
In the final set, The Firehawks opened up with a five point lead. Point answered with a 12-3 run to take the lead, but UTS came right back with four in a row to level the set at 12. Point pieces together a pair of five point runs to close out taking 13 of the final 19 points.
UTS was led in kills by Avrit with 13 terminations on 46 swings. Howell added a double double with 26 assists and 10 digs in the match. Garza led with 13 digs.
NEXT UP
UT Southern will close out pool play with a matchup against number one seed Mobile tomorrow at 11 a.m.
FOLLOW THE FIREHAWKS
Don't miss a minute of the latest action surrounding UTS Athletics by following the Firehawks on Twitter (@utsathletics), Instagram (@utsouthernathletics), and Facebook (@UT Southern Firehawks).