ULM Warhawks

MOBILE, Ala. — The ULM volleyball team (9-17, 3-9 SBC) fell in four sets (19-25, 19-25, 25-19, 16-25) to South Alabama (11-13, 6-6 SBC) in the series finale on Friday evening. The Jaguars outhit the Warhawks .242 to .075, and made 11 blocks to ULM's two. Each team made seven aces during the match, but South Alabama committed 14 service errors, while the Warhawks only had six.  

Abby Cunningham led the ULM attack with ten kills, and Morgan Howard notched her sixth double-double of the year with 19 assists and tied her season-high of 14 digs. She added four aces, three kills and a block.  

The Jaguars opened the match with a scoring run, forcing ULM to regroup at 6-1. That run was part of seven straight South Alabama points that included four aces by Cambria Gaier. The deficit at the break was nine for the Warhawks, but ULM fought to get back into the set. The Warhawks outscored the Jaguars 13-10 after the media timeout, thanks in part to kills from Kenzie Behl, Abby Cunningham and Grace Troxell, who each finished the set with three terminations. The gap was too large to overcome, and South Alabama took it 25-19.  

The second set saw an early 4-4 tie, but the Jaguars jumped out to the lead again at 7-4. The Warhawks got within one point after kills from Tatum Clay and Abby Cunningham, but South Alabama pulled away again to go into the break leading 15-12. The Jaguars continued to push coming out of the timeout, taking a seven-point lead. South Alabama took the second frame with the same score as the first.  

After only two ties across the first two sets and zero lead changes, the third saw five ties and three lead changes. Gracie DiNardo checked into the match and earned her first ace of the year to make the score 6-4 Jaguars. Another Abby Cunningham kill and a South Alabama error made the deficit one. A three-point streak of kills by Aniya Hall and one by Howard gave ULM its first lead of the match, 14-13. The set remained tight until a six-point spree made it 22-17 for the Warhawks. Morgan Howard assisted the first two points of the run and then went on to score a kill and make three straight aces. ULM extended the match with a 25-19 win. w 

Similar to the third, the fourth set was close at the beginning of the frame. Morgan Howard and Tatum Clay combined for the Warhawks' first block of the night to lead 9-8. South Alabama rode a 5-1 wave into the break, and came out of it with another four straight points. An ace by Briana Raney and a solo block by Zharia Alleyne made the score 19-15,  but South Alabama finished the set on a 4-0 run, taking it 25-16. 

The Warhawks will be back at b1Bank Fant Coliseum on Friday, November 6, at 6 p.m. to face the Ragin' Cajuns.