PULASKI, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Southern volleyball team pulled out a dramatic five-set victory (19–25, 25–18, 20–25, 25–23, 15–13) over Point University on Friday night inside Curry Athletic Complex. The Firehawks overcame early deficits and delivered clutch plays down the stretch to secure their fifth SSAC win of the season.
After dropping the opening set 25–19, UT Southern responded with a balanced attack in set two led by Ashlee Kraft, who continued to power the offense. The senior outside hitter finished with a match-high 27 kills and added two service aces and 13 digs. Setter Jelleny Mallozzi orchestrated the attack brilliantly, dishing out 43 assists to go with two aces and six digs.
Earlier this week, the Firehawks swept Oakwood in straight sets to open their home stand with momentum.
Match Flow
Point jumped out to an early lead in the first set behind efficient hitting and strong serving. A late 7–0 surge gave the Skyhawks the momentum to close out the frame 25–19.
UT Southern regrouped in the second, using a key mid-set run behind Ashley Cope's serving—which included back-to-back aces—to seize control. Kraft and Amree Patterson combined for six kills in the set as the Firehawks evened the match with a 25–18 win.
The Skyhawks battled back in the third, taking advantage of several UTS attack miscues to claim a 25–20 decision and regain the lead.
The Firehawks refused to fold. In the fourth, Emma Beardsley and Kraft sparked a 6–1 run midway through the set to pull ahead 18–16. After Point trimmed the deficit late, UT Southern closed it out 25–23 on a Kraft kill from Mallozzi.
In the decisive fifth, Point surged ahead 6–2, but UTS stormed back with a 10–2 run capped by Cope's ace and consecutive kills from Kraft. The Firehawks sealed the match 15–13 on a Kraft kill to ignite the home crowd.
UT Southern Leaders
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Ashlee Kraft: 27 kills, 13 digs, 2 aces, 5 assists, 1 block assist (.292 hitting)
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Emma Beardsley: 11 kills, 16 digs
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Amree Patterson: 8 kills, 2 blocks, .312 hitting percentage
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Jelleny Mallozzi: 43 assists, 2 aces, 6 digs, 1 block assist
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Olivia Ward: 6 kills, .167 hitting percentage
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Isabella Garza: 11 assists, 27 digs, 1 ace
Team Set Comparison
| Set |
UT Southern K-E-TA (.Pct) |
Point K-E-TA (.Pct) |
Score |
| 1 |
13-6-41 (.171) |
14-2-32 (.375) |
19–25 |
| 2 |
12-6-31 (.194) |
10-5-29 (.172) |
25–18 |
| 3 |
12-9-48 (.062) |
15-5-48 (.208) |
20–25 |
| 4 |
16-8-38 (.211) |
12-4-38 (.211) |
25–23 |
| 5 |
10-3-22 (.318) |
5-4-20 (.050) |
15–13 |
UT Southern outpaced Point in total kills (63–56) and assists (61–54) while posting eight aces to the Skyhawks' six.
Next Up
UT Southern (10–5, 5–4 SSAC) steps out of conference play for a road matchup at Oakwood University on Monday, Oct. 13, in Huntsville, Ala.
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