Alabama
17-11, 5-9SEC
Tennessee
11-13, 4-11SEC
Leah Lawrence Sets Career Blocks Record in Five-Set Thriller Over Tennessee
11/12/2017 4:15:00 PM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Senior Leah Lawrence became Alabama volleyball's all-time blocks leader in a five-set thriller over Tennessee Sunday afternoon in Foster Auditorium.
Alabama (17-11, 5-9 SEC) dropped the opening set to Tennessee (11-13, 4-11 SEC), 21-25, but rebounded with a 25-19 win in the second to even the match. The Volunteers earned a lopsided 25-17 win in the third but the Tide came out strong in the fourth, answering back with a 25-18 effort to force a deciding fifth set. In the fifth, there were seven tie scores and a pair of lead changes but Alabama ultimately persevered to earn 15-11 set victory and claim the 3-2 match win.
Lawrence ended the match with a team-leading six blocks, pushing her career total to 439 which sets a new school record, passing the previous record of 438 held by Shelly Adamcik (1999-2002). Under head coach Ed Allen, Tide athletes have now broken career records in blocks, assists and kills.
Lawrence was one of four players in the match in double-digit kills for Alabama, led by sophomore Hayley McSparin with 17 kills and a .520 hitting percentage, her highest clip in SEC play this season. Sophomore Mahalia Swink and freshman Meghan Neelon both earned double-doubles, with Swink at 14 kills and 10 digs and Neelon posting 56 assists and 11 digs. Junior Quincey Gary finished with 17 digs, pushing her season total to 478 which marks the highest single-season digs total under Allen.
Set one was a back-and-forth battle to start, with 10 tie scores and four lead changes before Tennessee held a 15-14 lead at the media timeout. The Volunteers extended its lead to three points with a 4-2 run after the break and the Tide was forced to regroup with a team timeout, trailing 19-16. Alabama quickly called its second timeout following back-to-back points by Tennessee that made it 21-16 but rallied to trim the deficit to two, which forced the Vols to take its first team timeout with the score now 22-20. Tennessee would eventually hold on to win the first set, 25-21.
Alabama jumped ahead early in set two, 6-3, but Tennessee eventually fought back to take a 12-10 lead after scoring four-straight points as the Tide called its first timeout. The Vols maintained its slim lead until Alabama scored three-straight to tie it at 18-18 and Tennessee took a timeout. The Tide continued its run with three more unanswered points to pull ahead 21-18 and the Vols burned its second team timeout. Alabama continued to roll, closing out the set with a 4-1 run to win, 25-19, and even the match at 1-1.
The Tide was forced to spend its first team timeout early in set three, trailing 5-1, and burned its second just before the halfway mark, now trailing 11-5. Tennessee remained in control, eventually building a 10-point margin, 20-10, and reaching set point up 24-13. A Vol service error and back-to-back service aces from Neelon kept the set alive as Tennessee was forced to take a timeout with the score now 24-16. A solo block from sophomore Ginger Perinar made it 24-17 but a Tennessee kill in the next rally ended it as the Vols won, 25-17, to take a 2-1 match lead.
Alabama came out with renewed energy in the fourth set, building an early 7-3 lead before Tennessee had to take a timeout. Alabama led by as much as six points before Tennessee began to narrow the gap, drawing within three points down 16-13 but the Tide quickly widened its lead back again to 20-14 before the Vols took its second timeout. Alabama closed out the set strongly, winning 25-18 to send it to a deciding fifth set.
Set five was a neck-and-neck affair early, with five tie scores before the teams switched sides at the halfway mark with the Tide up 8-7. Tied at 9-9, Lawrence came up with big plays on consecutive rallies, stuffing a solo block and following with a service ace to put Alabama up 11-9 as Tennessee called a timeout. The Vols spent its second timeout trailing 13-10 but Alabama closed it out to win 15-11.
Next up, Alabama travels to face South Carolina (11-15, 4-10 SEC) on Friday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. CT before returning home to host LSU (18-7, 9-5 SEC) on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. CT.
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