Alabama
18-9, 5-8SEC
LSU
9-14, 4-8SEC
Alabama Battles in Five-Set Loss to LSU Sunday in Tuscaloosa
11/4/2018 4:17:00 PM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama volleyball won a hard-fought fourth set to force a deciding fifth against LSU Sunday afternoon in Foster Auditorium, but the Tigers ultimately came away with the 16-14 win in the fifth to defeat the Crimson Tide, 3-2.
Alabama (18-9, 5-8 SEC) dropped the opening set to LSU (9-14, 4-8 SEC), 25-19, before evening the match with a 25-22 win in the second. The Tigers took the advantage with a 25-18 decision in the third but Tide held off a late rally in the fourth to win, 25-22, and force a deciding fifth set. The final frame saw 10 tie scores and six lead changes, with LSU ultimately coming out with the 16-14 win to take the match, 3-2.
Three Tide players were in double figures in kills, led by junior Ginger Perinar's 17. She also tallied a career-high 12 digs for her first double-double of the season. Junior Hayley McSparin and sophomore Doris Carter finished with 13 kills each, with McSparin hitting .310 out of the middle with a pair of blocks. Senior Cidavia Hall tied a career high with three solo blocks, adding a block assists to lead the team with four blocks.
Senior Quincey Gary continued her climb up the Crimson Tide leaderboards, posting a team-leading 13 digs to improve her career total to 1,392. She is now 109 shy of former teammate Natalie Murison's second-place mark of 1,501.
Tied at 6-6 in the opening frame, LSU went on a 7-3 run to pull ahead 13-9 before Alabama called a timeout. The Tigers extended their lead to six points at the Tide's second timeout, 19-13, and would hold on to win by the same margin, 25-19.
Alabama scored the first two points of the second set on a kill and service ace from Perinar before LSU scored back-to-back to tie it back at 2-2. After eight more tie scores at the 10-10 mark, the Tide scored three in a row to take its largest lead of the frame. It was a two-point lead at the media timeout, 15-13, but LSU fought back to briefly retake the lead at 19-18. A kill from Hall and a ball-handling error put the Tigers behind by one at the 20-point mark and the visitors took a timeout. LSU took its second timeout three points later, trailing 22-20, and Alabama held on to win, 25-22, and even the match at 1-1.
The Tide's early 5-2 was erased by a 3-0 run from the Tigers to tie it up and eventually take the lead at 7-6. LSU remained in front, leading 15-11 at the media timeout and 20-15 at Alabama's first team timeout. The Tide's second timeout came three points later, down 22-16, before dropping the set, 25-18.
The score was tied nine times during the first half the fourth set, with a 3-1 run giving Alabama a 15-13 lead at the media timeout. Back-to-back points after the break made it a four-point lead but the Tigers countered with three in a row to draw within one. A solo block from freshman Mylana Byrd and service ace from sophomore Meghan Neelon made it 19-16 before LSU called a timeout. After a Tide point made it 20-16, the Tigers scored three in a row to make it a one-point game again and Alabama called a timeout. LSU called its second timeout trailing 22-21 and tied it up on the next rally. Alabama ended the set on a 3-0 run to win, 25-22, and force a deciding fifth set.
Set five was a close contest to start, with five tie scores and four lead changes before LSU took an 8-6 lead at the mid-set switch. The Tide scored back-to-back to tie it back up at 8-8 and took a 11-10 lead before the Tigers called a timeout. LSU called it second timeout trailing 13-11 and Alabama reached set point two points later, 14-12. The Tigers scored a point to draw within one and, after a Tide timeout, they tied it up at 14-14. A play that was challenged and ultimately upheld in LSU's favor put the visitors ahead 15-14 and Alabama took its second timeout. The Tigers won on the next point, 16-14, to take the match in five.
Alabama has a full week off before resuming play Sunday, Nov. 11 with a road match at No. 12 Kentucky (17-4, 11-0 SEC), set for a 12:30 p.m. CT.
