Alabama
5-2
Temple
2-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple | 15 | 25 | 21 | 22 | 1 |
| Alabama | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Alabama Volleyball Closes Weekend With Four-Set Win Over Temple
9/3/2016 5:01:00 PM | Volleyball
BAYAMON, Puerto Rico. – Alabama volleyball closed its weekend at the Puerto Rico Clasico with a four-set win over Temple, winning by set scores of 25-15, 22-25, 25-21 and 25-22.
Alabama (5-2) and Temple (2-2) split the first two sets and battled for the remaining two sets, edging out four-point and three-point margins of victory, respectively. As she has all season, Krystal Rivers led the team in kills, finishing the match with 24 kills, a .321 hitting percentage and 13 digs for her third double-double of the season. Brittany Thomas and Kat Hutson also finished in double figures with 12 and 11 kills, respectively, while Natalie Murison led the passing effort with 18 digs.
Alabama got off to a fast start in the opening set, pushing ahead 8-2 after Hayley McSparin stuffed down back-to-back overpasses and Temple was forced to regroup with a timeout. The Owls did cut the Tide lead to two points but momentum swung back in Alabama's favor down the stretch, pulling ahead 19-14 at Temple's final timeout and by ten points at the end of the set, 25-15.
The Tide jumped ahead 4-1 early in set two but the Owls held strong, as the frame saw 11 tie scores and four lead changes. Both teams were neck-and-neck in the middle of the set and Alabama was the first team to take a timeout following back-to-back points by Temple with the score now 19-17. The Tide would draw back within one point but the Owls held steady in front, eventually winning 25-22 to tie the match at 1-1.
With the score tied 6-6 in set three, consecutive attack errors by Temple forced them into a timeout with Alabama up 8-6. The teams were quickly tied back up at 9-9 and traded the lead back and forth before the Tide were forced to take a timeout down 17-15. Later, trailing 19-16, a Temple attack error and a pair of Hutson kills tied it up at 19-19 and, following a timeout, a 6-2 run closed out the set in Alabama's favor, 25-21.
Temple started the fourth set with seven-straight points before Alabama scored its first of the frame, though the Tide would continue to close the gap trailing by two at the halfway point as the Owls took a timeout up 12-10. Alabama's momentum continued out of the break, as a 7-1 run made it a 17-13 lead for the Tide, forcing Temple to take its second timeout. Temple would make a late push, drawing within one point, but a kill by Abolanle Onipede made it set point, 24-22, and a Temple attack error ended it as Alabama won the set, 25-22, and the match, 3-1.
Next up, Alabama returns home to host the Hampton Inn Bama Bash in Foster Auditorium. The Tide will play three matches over two days, beginning with Northwestern State on Friday, Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. CT. Alabama faces Southern Miss later that night at 7 p.m. before closing its weekend against Lehigh on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. CT.
For the latest information on Alabama volleyball, follow the team on Twitter (@AlabamaVball), Instagram (AlabamaVball) and Facebook.
