NORFOLK, Va. — The ULM volleyball team (10-20, 4-12) closed the season with a 3-1 victory over Old Dominion on the road to split the series in the two teams' first-ever meetings. The Warhawks were led by Aniya Hall's double-double consisting of 14 kills and 10 digs and Morgan Howard's double-double of 18 assists and 11 digs.
Kenzie Behl made a career-high eight blocks in the win, while Eden Pietrzak matched her career-high 20 digs.
Abby Cunningham contributed 12 kills and four blocks, while Zharia Alleyne (seven) and Tatum Clay (six) added to the team's 14 total blocks. Bre Perrin paired her three aces with a team-leading 23 assists. Gracie DiNardo put up a season-high four kills, adding four digs.
Bre Perrin set the tone for the match early, taking ULM on an 8-0 run on her serve to lead 9-3 in the first set. The Warhawks kept the advantage going into the break, leading 15-7, and hitting .353% on eight early kills. ULM built lengthened the gap to 10 after a block by Zharia Alleyne and Kenzie Behl. Three straight points closed the set that was all Warhawks, with kills from Behl, Aniya Hall and Abby Cunningham making it 25-13. Hall finished the frame with six kills, hitting .545% (6-0-11), while the team hit .333% (15-4-33).
The second set was much more closely contested than the first, with the two teams trading points all the way to the media timeout. After 10 ties, an Alleyne solo block and an ace by Perrin put ULM up 15-13. The Warhawks capitalized on errors by the Monarchs, and led by as many as five points down the stretch. Hall's ninth kill of the match sealed the second set for ULM, 25-21.
Perrin continued her dominance from the service line in the third frame, earning back-to-back aces to go up 5-2. The set looked similar to the second, with neither team pulling away until the Warhawks jumped out to a four-point lead after two kills by Gracie DiNardo and another from Morgan Howard. ULM had a 20-15 advantage, until the Monarchs flipped the set and went on a 10-0 run to take it 25-20 and lengthen the match to a fourth.
The fourth set saw 10 ties and eight lead changes throughout, with neither team breaking free until the Warhawks went up 11-9 on an Eden Pietrzak ace. Abby Cunningham's swing and solo block coming back-to-back gave ULM a 15-12 lead at the break. Old Dominion, did not go quietly, reclaimed the lead at 19-18 after a 5-1 run, but Cunningham took it right back for the Warhawks with a kill. Hall clinched the match for ULM, making her 14th kill of the match to take the set 25-22.
