PULASKI, Tenn. – UT Southern dropped a hard-fought four-set match against SSAC foe Mobile on Friday night at the Curry Athletic Complex. The Firehawks rallied to take the second set but ultimately fell 3–1 (19–25, 25–17, 18–25, 14–25).
UT Southern Leaders
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Ashlee Kraft – 12 kills, 8 digs, 2 blocks, 1 ace (team-high 14.5 points)
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Emma Beardsley – 12 kills, 9 digs, 3 blocks (14.0 points)
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Amree Patterson – 7 kills, 3 blocks (11.5 points)
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Olivia Ward – 6 kills, 2 digs, 2 blocks (7.5 points)
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Irby Norris – 5 kills, 3 digs, 1 block (5.5 points)
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Jelleny Mallozzi – 26 assists, 9 digs, 4 kills (.500 hitting)
Team Hitting Stats by Set
Set 1
| Team |
Kills |
Errors |
Attempts |
Hitting % |
| UT Southern |
10 |
4 |
36 |
.167 |
| Mobile |
19 |
4 |
35 |
.429 |
Set 2
| Team |
Kills |
Errors |
Attempts |
Hitting % |
| UT Southern |
11 |
4 |
34 |
.206 |
| Mobile |
6 |
11 |
34 |
-.147 |
Set 3
| Team |
Kills |
Errors |
Attempts |
Hitting % |
| UT Southern |
14 |
7 |
44 |
.159 |
| Mobile |
15 |
2 |
44 |
.295 |
Set 4
| Team |
Kills |
Errors |
Attempts |
Hitting % |
| UT Southern |
11 |
6 |
32 |
.156 |
| Mobile |
13 |
2 |
23 |
.478 |
The opening set began with energy from UT Southern, as Beardsley and Kraft helped the Firehawks jump to a 2–0 start. However, Mobile quickly flipped the momentum with a string of kills that turned the tide. Despite UTS clawing back with points from Ward and Kraft, the Rams strung together a decisive mid-set run to extend their lead to 19–11. The Firehawks showed resilience late, pulling within 23–19 after a Kraft ace and strong net play from Patterson and Beardsley, but Mobile closed the set 25–19.
Set two was the highlight of the night for the Firehawks. They exploded out of the gates, racing to a 6–0 lead fueled by dominant blocking from Patterson and Beardsley. That cushion forced Mobile to regroup, and the Rams began chipping away. A handful of UTS miscues allowed the visitors to close the gap to within two at 12–10. The Firehawks steadied themselves with timely kills from Norris and Kraft, then pushed back ahead to 20–12. Mobile fought back with a small run, trimming the margin late, but UTS held firm. Beardsley, Ward, and Kraft delivered in the closing points, and the Firehawks celebrated a gritty 26–24 win to even the match.
The third set started with promise as UTS built a slim 3–1 edge behind kills from Kraft and Patterson. But Mobile countered immediately, using its middle attack to retake control. A 6–0 run widened the gap to 17–11, putting UTS on the defensive. The Firehawks attempted to answer with back-to-back kills from Norris and Ward, even pulling within 20–18 after a Norris swing and a Price service ace. Still, the Rams' efficiency at the net proved too much, and the set ended 25–18.
The fourth set belonged entirely to Mobile. Errors plagued UTS early as the Rams stormed to a 6–3 lead and never looked back. Their front line dominated with quick kills that stretched the advantage to double digits. Even when Beardsley and Kraft delivered swings to halt the momentum, Mobile countered with another scoring burst. Service aces and blocks piled on, and the Rams sprinted to a commanding 22–10 lead. Though UTS fought to stay alive with late points from Ward and Beardsley, Mobile sealed the match with a 25–14 victory.
NEXT UP
UT Southern will host a tri-match tomorrow, September 20th. The Firehawks open play against Faulkner (SSAC) at 1 pm, followed by Faulkner vs Lindsey Wilson at 3 pm, and conclude the day with a matchup against Lindsey Wilson at 5 pm.
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