Alabama
Clemson
Volleyball Defeats Clemson to Win Crimson-White Tournament
9/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama capped off its weekend hosting the Crimson-White Tournament by defeating Clemson in four sets to earn the team's third tournament title of the season.
Alabama (12-2) took a 2-0 match lead before a resurgent Clemson (11-2) took a convincing third set and put a scare into the Crimson Tide in the fourth, though Alabama was able to hold off the Tigers to win in four sets. For the fourth-straight match, Krystal Rivers led the team in kills with 22, while hitting an impressive .386 from the right side along with nine digs. Kat Hutson and Brittany Thomas also earned double-digit kills with 17 and 10, respectively, while libero Natalie Murison led the defense with 15 digs. Sierra Wilson tallied 51 assists, her second-highest total of the season, while Bruna Evangelista led the team with four blocks.
Alabama has now won seven-straight matches, including five sweeps, and is undefeated at home this season.
For their efforts over the weekend, Rivers was named the Tournament MVP while Thomas and Wilson were named to the All-Tournament team. Rivers earned 50 kills between the weekend's three matches (4.55/set), hitting .309 with 23 digs. Thomas earned 33 kills, a .288 clip, 25 digs and six blocks while Wilson set 124 assists, averaging 11.2 per set.
Clemson scored the first point of the opening set and Alabama would tie the frame three times before taking its first lead, 6-5, off a Tiger attack error. Alabama would move ahead by as much as four points, 12-8, before Clemson fought back to tie it at 14-14. Tied later 17-17, Alabama would move ahead with a 5-3 run as the Tigers took their first timeout, down 22-20. A solo block and kill by Bruna Evangelista made it set point, 24-20, and an ace by Rivers sealed the 25-20 set victory.
Set two was the most tightly-contested of the match, seeing 14 tie scores and eight lead changes. Tied at 7-7, Alabama would briefly take a 9-7 lead but Clemson would score three unanswered to move ahead 10-9 and, despite four tie scores, Alabama could not regain the lead as Clemson led 22-20 at the Tide's first timeout. A kill by Rivers and an ace by Leah Lawrence out of the break tied it up at 22-22, forcing Clemson to take its first timeout. Another kill by Rivers made it 23-22 as the Tigers quickly took their final timeout. Alabama would reach set point, 24-23, but Clemson tied it up off an Alabama service error, as the set stretched to extra points. Clemson reached set point twice before Alabama fought back to lead 27-26 and a Clemson attack error sealed the narrow two-point victory, 28-26, to take a 2-0 match lead.
Clemson dominated the third set, surging ahead 14-8 as Alabama had to take its first timeout. Each team would score three points and an Alabama attack error would give the visitors a seven-point lead, 18-11, as Alabama took its final timeout. The Tigers would continue to power ahead after the timeout, only allowing the Tide to score two more points as Clemson avoided the sweep with a convincing 25-13 win in set three.
In the fourth set, it was Alabama that owned the early momentum, doubling-up the visitors 14-7 as Clemson had to burn both its timeouts in the process. Alabama would build a double-digit lead, 21-11, but the Tigers would not go down quietly as they made an impressive comeback, using a 9-2 run to draw within three as Alabama took a late timeout leading 23-20. An attack error by the Tigers gave Alabama set point, 24-20, but a kill and a block by Clemson threatened to force a fifth set. Hutson would dash any hopes of a comeback however as her kill sealed the set victory, 25-22, and gave Alabama the 3-1 match victory.
On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Alabama begins conference play with a trip to take on the Georgia Bulldogs (8-4). The match is set for a 6 p.m. CT start and will be aired live on the SEC Network.
