Alabama
8-9,0-5SEC
Kentucky
11-3,4-0SEC
Alabama Volleyball Battles Late in Third Set but Falls to Fifth-Ranked Kentucky
10/9/2021 3:22:00 PM | Volleyball
The Crimson Tide and Wildcats were tied 23-23 late in the third set
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Needing to win the third set to extend the match, Alabama volleyball rallied late to tie fifth-ranked Kentucky at 23-23 before the Wildcats scored back-to-back to win the set and take the match in three sets.
Alabama (8-9, 0-5 SEC) fell to Kentucky (11-3, 4-0 SEC) by set scores of 25-19 and 25-15 before the neck-and-neck battle in the third. After three tie scores early, the Wildcats started to extend their lead, up 15-9 at the media timeout. Each team scored three points to make it 18-12 before a 4-1 run from the Tide made it a three-point game. Later trailing 22-17, Alabama rattled off four unanswered capped by a Katie Shook service ace as Kentucky took a timeout at 22-21. After a Wildcat kill, back-to-back errors tied it up at 23-23. A kill on the next rally gave Kentucky match point before a block ended it at 25-23.
Kennedy Muckelroy led the Tide with 11 kills, her seventh match this season in double figures. Shaye Eggleston led the team with 14 digs, just two shy of her season high and her third straight match with double-digit digs. Freshman Brooke Slusser's 24 assists was also just one shy of her season high, posting 20+ assists in four of Alabama's last five matches.
Stat Leaders
- Kills: Kennedy Muckelroy - 11
- Assists: Brooke Slusser - 24
- Digs: Shaye Eggleston - 14
- Blocks: Three tied - 2
- Aces: Katie Shook - 2
Set-by-Set
- Set 1: Kentucky 25, Alabama 19
- Set 2: Kentucky 25, Alabama 15
- Set 3: Kentucky 25, Alabama 23
Match Notes
- Kennedy Muckelroy led the team with 11 kills, her seventh match in double figures this season
- Shaye Eggleston led the team with 14 assists, two shy of her season best and her third straight match with double-digit digs
- Brooke Slusser led the team with 24 assists, giving her 20+ in four of Alabama's last five matches
Up Next: Alabama at Missouri
- Wednesday, Oct. 13 – Columbia, Mo. – 6:30 p.m. CT
