Alabama
1-1
Tulsa
2-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 30 | 27 | 21 | 25 | 15 | 2 |
| Tulsa | 28 | 29 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 3 |
Alabama Volleyball Edged Out in Five-Set Loss to Tulsa
8/26/2016 10:21:00 PM | Volleyball
TULSA, Okla. – For the second-straight season, it would take five sets to decide a winner in a matchup between Alabama and Tulsa. Ultimately, it was the Hurricane that came out on top over the Tide, 3-2, in an exciting conclusion to Friday's action at the Hurricane Classic.
Both offenses put up big numbers, with Alabama (1-1) holding the edge over Tulsa (2-0) in kills, 83-79, though the Hurricane out-hit the Tide .303-.257. Four Alabama players finished with double-digit kills, led by Krystal Rivers' 23 followed by Kat Hutson with 19, Hayley McSparin with 16 and Leah Lawrence with 14. Rivers added 14 digs for a double-double while setter Shannon Mikesky also did so for the second-straight match, totaling 67 assists and 16 digs. Natalie Murison led the team with 18 digs and McSparin posted a team-leading six blocks.
The score was tied 10 times early in a tightly-contested set one, but Alabama would not take its first lead until a kill by Lawrence at the halfway point made it 13-12. Neither team would take more than a one-point lead until Tulsa battled back to pull ahead 18-16 and another kill made it a three-point game as Alabama took its first timeout trailing 19-16. Later, trailing 21-18, a pair of kills by Hutson and Mikesky along with a Murison service ace tied it at 21-21, forcing Tulsa to take its first timeout. Another kill by Hutson out of the break briefly put the Tide on top 22-21, but the Hurricane retook the lead on an Alabama error and back-to-back kills, reaching set point, 24-22, as Alabama took a timeout. Momentum swung back in Alabama's favor as Tulsa was unable to secure the frame, with consecutive kills by Hutson making it 24-24. The teams would hit set point five more times with Alabama eventually sealing the win on an ace by Brittany Thomas for a final score of 30-28.
The teams were again deadlocked in the early stages of set two, with Alabama holding a slim 10-8 lead before a 5-0 run by Tulsa switched the score in its favor to force a Tide timeout now trailing 13-10. Alabama eventually rallied to tie it at 18-18 but Tulsa responded with three unanswered points to pull back ahead 21-18 and force the Tide to take its second timeout. Tulsa again found itself leading by two at set point, 24-22, and Alabama fought back again to tie it up at 24-24. Tulsa would hit set point four more times before pulling through and winning set two, 29-27, to even the match at 1-1.
Following intermission, the third set was another close affair with neither team taking more than a one-point lead until Tulsa moved ahead 13-11 midway through the frame. The Hurricane held on to its two-point lead and eventually doubled it on a kill and a Tide attack error to move ahead 18-14 as Alabama took its first timeout. Tulsa would reach set point with the same four-point lead, 24-20, as Alabama took its final timeout. The Tide would score one point to regain possession but the Hurricane answered immediately with a kill to win the set, 25-21, and take a 2-1 match lead.
Tied at 2-2 early in set four, Alabama would rattle off four unanswered points, capped by a block up the middle by Rivers and McSparin to make it 6-2. Alabama held a five-point lead as Tulsa took a timeout down 9-4 and the Hurricane stormed out of the break with a 6-1 run to tie it at 10-10. Tulsa would soon take its first lead of the set, 13-12, but a ball handling error shortly after would allow Alabama to pull back ahead, 16-15, and charge ahead to a 20-16 lead before Tulsa hoped to halt the momentum with its final timeout. A 4-0 run out of the break allowed the Hurricane to tie it at 20-20 and the two teams traded points back and forth until Alabama reached set point, 24-22. A kill on the outside by Mahalia Swink capped the set victory, 25-22, and forced a fifth set.\
Much like the preceding four sets, the fifth was a close contest with Tulsa holding a slim 8-7 lead at the midway point. Alabama took its first timeout trialing 10-8 and Tulsa would respond with its own timeout following a kill by Rivers to bring the Tide within one point, trailing 11-10. Tied 13-13, a Tulsa block gave the home team match point as Alabama burned its final timeout. A kill by Hutson tied it up at 14-14 and a Tulsa blocking error gave Alabama match point, 15-14, as the Hurricane called its final timeout. Tulsa responded with three-straight points out of the break to come back and win the set, 17-15, and the match, 3-2.
Alabama concludes its weekend at the Hurricane Classic facing Incarnate Word (0-2) on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 11 a.m. CT.
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