Alabama Falls in Three Game Heartbreaker to South Carolina
11/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
COLUMBIA, S.C.- The University of Alabama volleyball team ended its regular season with a 27-30, 16-30, 31-33 loss to South Carolina at the Volleyball Competition Facility. With the loss, Alabama falls to 15-14 overall and 12-8 in the SEC.
Alabama put in a solid offensive performance in game one led by junior Lindsey Buteyn who hit .667 with four kills on six attempts. As a team the Tide hit .326 and tallied 19 kills. Despite the offensive show, South Carolina outlasted the Tide 30-27 to take a 1-0 lead.
Alabama fell behind early in the game as the Gamecocks took a four point lead. The Tide, however, battled back and tied the game for the first time at 13 all. South Carolina responded with a kill and went on another four point run to take its second significant lead.
Down by four, the Tide made a run, led by junior Amy Pauly, and moved within two of the Gamecocks. South Carolina retaliated with another run of points and led by as many as five before the Tide's Crystal Hudson stopped the run with a kill from the middle. South Carolina kept its lead and for the remainder of the game and saw its first game point leading 29-24. Alabama's Lindsey Buteyn tallied her fourth kill of the match to keep the Tide alive. Alabama made a final four point run with South Carolina at game point but a Tide service error eventually ended the game.
The Tide found itself down by as many as 14 points in game two as Alabama could not find its offensive rhythm. The Tide hit negative as a team and only tallied nine kills. Redshirt sophomore Brooks Webster led the Tide with three kills and hit .400 despite South Carolina's four team blocks.
Alabama found itself down by 13 late in the game but did not let down and went on a three-point run late in the game spurred by a kill from Hudson in the middle. South Carolina finished out the game after Alabama held the Gamecocks to two game points and South Carolina took a 2-0 lead heading into game three.
Game three saw a different look with 16 ties and seven lead changes as the Tide battled to take a game from South Carolina. Alabama controlled the majority of game three and took its biggest lead of the match at 19-16. The Tide and the Gamecocks exchanged points and South Carolina tied the game for the 11th time at 22-22 and again at 23-23 before Alabama went on a four-point run to take three point lead at 27-24. The Tide's Bridget Fuentez slammed down a ball from the outside to give Alabama its first game point of the match, leading 29-27. South Carolina retaliated with a two-point run and tied the game at 29 all and forced Alabama to use another timeout.
Out of the timeout South Carolina earned a kill to give the Gamecocks their first match point leading 30-29. Game three saw two more ties and two lead changes before South Carolina ended the game and the match at 33-31.
Alabama will use this week to train for the upcoming NCAA tournament as it ended conference play this weekend. The Tide, along with the rest of division I volleyball, will anxiously await the revealing of the 2007 NCAA tournament bracket. The selection show will air Sunday, Nov. 26 at 8:00 p.m. on ESPNU. The 2007 NCAA Division I volleyball tournament final rounds will be held in Sacramento, Calif.
For more information on Alabama volleyball, visit www.rolltide.com.
