PULASKI, Tenn. - The Firehawks battled through a long day at Curry Athletic Complex, opening with a five-set Southern States Athletic Conference victory over Faulkner before closing the evening against Lindsey Wilson.
Kraft and Patterson Power Firehawks' Thrilling Five-Set Comeback Over Faulkner
UT Southern earned its first SSAC win of the season in dramatic fashion, outlasting Faulkner in five sets (20-25, 25-27, 25-22, 25-15, 15-10). After falling behind two sets to none, the Firehawks roared back behind efficient hitting and steady defense.
Ashlee Kraft led all players with 19 kills on a .342 clip and three total blocks. Amree Patterson added 12 kills on .417 hitting with three solo blocks. Jelleny Mallozzi dished out 36 assists to go along with 6 kills (.556), 17 digs, and 3 service aces. Emma Beardsley tallied 10 kills, while Olivia Ward chipped in 8 kills and a .312 percentage. Defensively, Isabella Garza collected 21 digs and served two aces.
Set-by-Set Team Stats vs Faulkner
| Set |
UT Southern K-E-TA (% ) |
Faulkner K-E-TA (% ) |
| 1 |
10-7-27 (.111) |
14-5-29 (.310) |
| 2 |
12-8-36 (.111) |
12-6-36 (.167) |
| 3 |
14-2-27 (.444) |
14-6-33 (.242) |
| 4 |
12-3-30 (.300) |
9-9-36 (.000) |
| 5 |
12-2-20 (.500) |
6-0-19 (.316) |
| Total |
60-22-140 (.271) |
55-26-153 (.190) |
Firehawks Show Grit but Fall to No. 8 Lindsey Wilson
In the evening match, UT Southern took on Lindsey Wilson and fell in straight sets (25-20, 25-14, 25-14). Despite the loss, the Firehawks showed toughness against the Blue Raiders.
Kraft once again paced UT Southern with 7 kills and 2 blocks. Mallozzi added 11 assists, 2 kills, and 7 digs, while Patterson recorded 3 kills and 2 blocks. Beardsley chipped in 4 kills, and Ward added 1 kill and a block. Defensively, Garza finished with 12 digs, and Cope contributed 4 digs along with the team's lone ace.
Set-by-Set Team Stats vs Lindsey Wilson
| Set |
UT Southern K-E-TA (% ) |
Lindsey Wilson K-E-TA (% ) |
| 1 |
8-4-32 (.125) |
17-9-43 (.186) |
| 2 |
9-9-32 (.000) |
12-1-25 (.440) |
| 3 |
4-7-28 (-.107) |
14-7-29 (.241) |
| Total |
21-20-92 (.011) |
43-17-97 (.268) |
NEXT UP
UT Southern will look to build on its comeback victory over Faulkner as conference play continues on September 26th at Life.
FOLLOW THE FIREHAWKS
Stay up to date with all the latest action from UTS Athletics! Follow the Firehawks on social media:
Twitter: @utsathletics
Instagram: @utsouthernathletics
Facebook: @UT Southern Firehawks
Don't miss a moment — Go Firehawks!
