BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. - In the SSAC Game of the Week, the University of Tennessee Southern women's volleyball team battled through four sets on the road Friday night before ultimately falling 3–1 to Blue Mountain Christian (25–20, 25–20, 28–30, 25–14).
The Firehawks came out firing in the opening set, jumping to an early 3–0 lead behind kills from Amree Patterson and strong net play from Jelleny Mallozzi. However, the Toppers countered with an 8–1 run to swing momentum their way. Despite late-set kills from Ashlee Kraft and Emma Beardsley, Blue Mountain closed out the frame 25–20.
The second set mirrored the first, with UTS holding narrow advantages early. Kraft's powerful swing and Beardsley's quick attacks helped Tennessee Southern push ahead 13–11, but a string of Blue Mountain aces turned the tide as the hosts took another 25–20 win.
Set three was the most dramatic of the night. After trailing 6–1 early, the Firehawks surged back with kills from Beardsley, Patterson, and Olivia Ward, rallying behind Mallozzi's steady setting. With the score knotted at 20–20, UTS refused to fold. Kraft delivered three key kills down the stretch, capped by back-to-back winners from Beardsley and Ward to seal the set 30–28 and extend the match.
Blue Mountain regained control in the fourth, capitalizing on early Firehawk attack errors to build an 8–3 lead. Though Irby Norris and Kraft provided sparks at the net, the hosts' offense proved too efficient, closing the match with a 25–14 final.
UT Southern Leaders
Tennessee Southern totaled 50 kills on the night, hitting .129 as a team, while Blue Mountain hit .190 with 55 kills.
The Firehawks (10–6, 5–5 SSAC) will look to bounce back on the road Wednesday, October 22, when they visit Fisk University in non-conference play.
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