Alabama Volleyball Falls to South Carolina in Straight Sets
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama volleyball team suffered a disappointing defeat against South Carolina, losing in three straight sets on Friday night at Foster Auditorium. The match concluded with scores of 22-25, 24-26, and 22-25, marking the Crimson Tide’s 11th loss in SEC play this season.
In the opening set, Alabama (11-14, 3-11 SEC) initially fell behind 14-8 but managed to rally with an impressive 8-1 run, powered by an ace from Paris Thompson, putting them ahead 19-18. However, South Carolina (15-9, 6-7 SEC) responded with a crucial three-point surge, regaining control to close out the set 25-22.
Set two showcased an intense back-and-forth battle. Alabama took a brief lead at 24-22, yet they couldn’t clinch the set, allowing the Gamecocks to score four unanswered points and win 26-24, putting them up two sets to none.
The third set began with South Carolina maintaining a lead, but a 4-0 run by Alabama flipped the momentum momentarily, giving them a 15-13 advantage. Despite this, the Gamecocks tied the game and eventually edged ahead, sealing the match with a 25-22 victory.
Head coach Rashinda Reed commented on the match, expressing disappointment in her team’s performance: "I just feel like we didn’t keep our foot on the gas. South Carolina is a very good team, and I just feel like we didn’t respect our opponent the way we should have today."
Kaleigh Palmer led Alabama with 12 kills and achieved a season-high .385 hitting percentage. This match marks Alabama’s fifth conference encounter this season with seven or more aces.
The Crimson Tide will attempt to bounce back on Sunday, Nov. 24, when they host Ole Miss at 2 p.m. CT.
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Photo credit rolltide.com
