Alabama
18-12, 6-10SEC
LSU
19-8, 10-6SEC
Alabama Volleyball Posts Four-Set Comeback Over LSU Sunday in Tuscaloosa
11/19/2017 6:06:00 PM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama volleyball dropped the opening set in Sunday's home match against LSU, but the Tide used a dominant win in the second to surge towards wins in the third and fourth to claim the four-set comeback victory over the Tigers.
Alabama (18-12, 6-10 SEC) was flat in the opening set against LSU (19-7, 10-5 SEC), losing 15-25 and netting just eight kills in the frame. The Tide quickly regrouped to win the second set by an even larger margin, 25-14, and edged out a close 25-23 win in the third before closing out the four-set victory with a 25-17 decision in the fourth.
The Tide put together a balanced defensive effort, with four players in double-digit digs led by freshman Kaylee Thomas with a career-best 19. Sophomore Hayley McSparin led the offensive effort, posting 15 kills with a .462 hitting percentage, while sophomore Ginger Perinar was close behind with 14. Senior Leah Lawrence led the defensive effort at the net, tallying five blocks, and accounted for three of the team's eight service aces. Freshman Meghan Neelon earned her fourth straight double-double and 13th overall with 40 assists and 10 digs.
Alabama built an early 7-4 lead in set one but LSU eventually fought back to take the lead, 9-8. A kill from McSparin tied it at 9-9 but the Tigers scored four-straight points to build a 13-9 lead before the Tide burned its first team timeout. LSU scored two more points before Alabama broke the streak with another kill from McSparin to make it 15-10. The Tide spent its second timeout trailing 18-11. Alabama would draw as close as six after an ace from Lawrence made it 20-14 but LSU eventually held on to win, 25-15.
The Tide held the early momentum in set two, building a six-point lead at the halfway mark before the Tigers took a timeout with the score 12-6. Alabama eventually moved ahead by double digits, 18-8, and LSU spent its second timeout. The Tigers charged out of the break with a 5-1 run, cutting the Tide's lead to six before head coach Ed Allen called a timeout now leading 19-13. Alabama soon regained its double-digit lead back at 23-13 and eventually won the set by 11 points, 25-14, to even the match at 1-1.
LSU took an early 6-4 lead in set three but Alabama moved back ahead with five unanswered points, leading 9-6 as the Tigers took a timeout. Alabama doubled its lead by LSU's next timeout, 16-10, but the Tigers made a comeback bid late in the frame drawing within one before the Tide was forced to call a timeout leading 20-19. Alabama reached set point, 24-21, but had to call a timeout after consecutive points from LSU made it a one-point game. A kill from McSparin in the next rally ended it as the Tide earned the two-point victory, 25-23, to take a 2-1 match lead.
Alabama controlled the first half in set four, pulling ahead 4-3 and remaining in front through the halfway mark when LSU took a timeout trailing 13-7 following a service ace from Lawrence. A 5-2 run from the Tigers made it a three-point game and the Tide took its first team timeout up 15-12. Later leading by the same margin, 20-17, a big kill up the middle from Lawrence made it 21-17 and LSU spent its final timeout. The Tigers would not earn another point for the rest of the game, as the Tide rattled off four-straight to close out the set, 25-17, and earn the four-set victory.
Alabama concludes its regular season this week, traveling to Columbia, Mo., for a midweek road match against Missouri (19-10, 12-4 SEC) on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. CT before returning home to play Texas A&M (8-15, 5-11 SEC) on Saturday, Nov. 25 at Noon CT.
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