FLORENCE – North Alabama hit .409 as a team and saved its
best effort for the final match of the Gulf South Conference
Tournament defeating Harding 3-0 to win the school’s 16th conference
title Saturday evening at Flowers Hall.
Led by tournament most outstanding player Laura Bellinger, the Lions
used a balanced attack to down the Lady Bisons 30-17, 30-18, 30-24.
The senior setter from Portage, Mich., recorded 49 assists in the
championship match, giving her 163 for the tournament and a 13.58
assist-per-game average.
“The reason we have been successful this year is because we are so
balanced,” said Bellinger. “Other teams can’t just key on one
person, and that allows any one of five of our players to have a big
match.
Coach Radecki told us before the match to just go out an play like
we are capable of playing. We knew we could win the title if we
played to our full potential.”
The win gives UNA its 10th tournament title in the last 11 seasons,
including the previous three. The Lions are now 30-5 on the year and
have won 23 straight matches.
Against Harding, Kasie Spencer and Megan Stout had 15 kills each.
Spencer hit .609 for the match and added seven blocks. Stout added a
.520 percentage and was named to the all-tournament team along with
Nilcia Oliveira, who had 13 kills on the night.
Danielle Palasak added 10 kills in the finals and was the only
player with a double-double after getting 10 digs. Ashley Hill also
had 10 digs as the Lions limited HU to a .115 hitting percentage.
In the semi-final match against Ouachita Baptist, head coach
Stephanie Radecki
recorded her 100th win as a head coach as UNA advanced with a 3-1
victory.
Five players reached double digits in kills and Hill posted a
career-high 33 digs as the Lions posted the 30-26, 28-30, 30-23,
30-17 victory. UNA also got 14 service aces with four players
getting at least three for the match.
Spencer and Stout had 14 kills each, while Ayres and Palasak came
through with 13 and 12 respectively. Oliveira rounded out the top
hitters for the Lions with 11 kills. Jessica Hansen added 16 digs
for UNA, while Bellinger’s 56 assists and 12 digs represented the
team’s only double-double.
UNA will travel to Kirksville, Mo., next week to play in its 10th
consecutive NCAA Tournament. The regional round will be hosted by
Truman State University with the official brackets being released
Monday afternoon.
Match
34 - Harding (GSC Tournament)- Printable Match Statistics
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