PULASKI, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Southern volleyball team continued its strong home form with a 3–1 (25–18, 25–20, 23–25, 25–20) Southern States Athletic Conference victory over William Carey on Saturday afternoon inside Curry Athletic Complex. The win improved the Firehawks to 8–5 overall and 4–4 in SSAC play.
Match Flow
UT Southern came out energized to start the opening set, feeding off the home crowd to build early momentum. Ashlee Kraft and Amree Patterson set the tone at the net, combining for several quick kills and key blocks. The Firehawks turned a narrow 7–6 lead into a comfortable cushion midway through the set with a 6–1 run, forcing a William Carey timeout. Emma Beardsley and Irby Norris each added late kills to secure a 25–18 win and a 1–0 match lead.
The Firehawks kept the pressure on in the second set. Setter Jelleny Mallozzi sparked an early 5–0 burst, recording both an ace and an assist during the stretch. William Carey briefly rallied to tie things at 5–5, but UT Southern responded immediately with back-to-back kills from Kraft and Beardsley to regain control. Mallozzi's precise distribution kept the Crusaders off balance as the Firehawks spread the offense across multiple hitters. An ace by Kraft closed the frame 25–20, giving UTS a commanding 2–0 advantage.
The third set brought a shift in momentum as William Carey capitalized on several early UT Southern attack errors to take a 7–2 lead. The Firehawks battled back behind Norris and Ward, chipping away to tie the score at 18–18. Both teams traded points in a tense finish, but a late service ace helped the Crusaders edge out a 25–23 win, forcing a fourth set.
UT Southern regrouped quickly in the fourth, determined to close out the match. The Firehawks erased a 3–0 deficit behind a string of kills from Kraft, Patterson, and Norris to take a 9–8 lead. Mallozzi continued to shine, adding two service aces and multiple assists as UTS began to separate late in the set. The defense stepped up down the stretch, with Ward and Patterson combining for a crucial block to push the score to 24–20. Moments later, an attack error from the Crusaders sealed the set 25–20 and the match for the Firehawks.
UT Southern Statistical Leaders
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Ashlee Kraft – 13 kills, 8 errors, 37 total attempts (.135), 11 digs, 4 blocks, 2 aces, 17.0 points
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Amree Patterson – 10 kills, 3 errors, 23 total attempts (.304), 2 digs, 9 blocks, 15.5 points
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Emma Beardsley – 10 kills, 8 errors, 42 total attempts (.048), 13 digs, 2 blocks, 11.0 points
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Irby Norris – 12 kills, 6 errors, 37 total attempts (.162), 5 digs, 1 block, 12.5 points
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Olivia Ward – 4 kills, no errors, 11 total attempts (.364), 4 digs, 4 blocks, 1 ace, 7.0 points
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Jelleny Mallozzi – 3 kills, no errors, 5 total attempts (.600), 40 assists, 19 digs, 4 blocks, 3 aces, 8.0 points
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Isabella Garza – 16 digs, 6 assists
Team totals: 52 kills, .158 hitting percentage, 47 assists, 6 aces, 82 digs, 24 total blocks
Team Comparison by Set
| Set |
UT Southern K-E-TA (Pct) |
William Carey K-E-TA (Pct) |
| Set 1 |
14–3–36 (.306) |
12–9–37 (.081) |
| Set 2 |
15–7–41 (.195) |
9–6–41 (.073) |
| Set 3 |
11–9–44 (.045) |
12–7–40 (.125) |
| Set 4 |
12–7–44 (.114) |
10–10–46 (.000) |
| Total |
52–26–165 (.158) |
43–32–164 (.067) |
Tale of the Tape
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UT Southern out-blocked William Carey 24–11.
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Mallozzi recorded 40 assists and 19 digs, leading the offense and defense.
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Kraft, Norris, and Patterson combined for 35 of the team's 52 kills.
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The Firehawks improved to 5–1 at home this season.
Next Up
UT Southern returns to action Monday, October 6, hosting Oakwood University as part of Hawktoberfest festivities in Pulaski.
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