FLORENCE, Ala. (October 27, 2024) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team won a battle in CB&S Bank Arena Sunday afternoon, overcoming a 2-0 deficit to take a five-set win over the Queens Royals.
The Lions (13-10, 7-3 ASUN) faced the Royals (6-15, 3-7 ASUN) in the second of two weekend home matches, who gave UNA a competitive contest from Florence. Queens started fast, using a strong first set to give way to a 2-0 set advantage.
North Alabama responded with two responding wins in the third and fourth set, setting up a deciding fifth set for the teams. UNA's momentum in the late sets proved enough to take the match, winning 15-11 to secure the team victory in the final set.
The story of the match was defense, with the teams combining for 213 digs and 15 blocks. The Lions finished with seven of those blocks and a new Division I single-game record of 104 digs. UNA's dig totals was just 26 shy of the overall school record of 130, set against Alabama-Huntsville on Nov. 13, 1994.
The duo of freshman Reese Ricketts and graduate Jasmine Brooks paced the Lions' attack with a team-leading 19 and 18 kills, respectively. Six additional Lions also finished with at least one kill, with sophomore Nicole Sargent finishing third with seven.
Freshman Kinslee McGowan secured a team-high and career-high 33 assists, and sophomore Olivia Fenoff led with a match-high four service aces – tying her career high. Defensively, freshman Audrey Small set a career high with 30 digs, while Sargent's three blocks led the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1: QUC 25, UNA 20
Queens came out firing with 19 kills, bringing the fight to UNA en route to the first-set win. The Royals hit .425 in the frame with only two errors, playing their best from the jump to set the tone. North Alabama tied the match at 19-19, but Queens pulled back ahead to win the first set.
SET 2: QUC 25, UNA 20
The defenses came to play in the second frame, but Queens did just enough to take the set and a 2-0 lead. Both teams hit under .200 in the frame and racked up the digs and blocks with a combined 39 and five, respectively. In the end, the Royals overcame an early deficit to take the second frame. Queens trailed 12-9, when an 8-2 run gave the Royals the 17-14 lead and momentum late. The Royals added five straight points after that to pull away to a 22-14 lead, despite UNA getting back within four at 24-20 before the clinching point.
SET 3: UNA 25, QOC 17
North Alabama got the comeback started with a solid third set win. The Lions trailed to start but worked back to tie and, eventually, take the lead. UNA turn a 7-4 deficit to a 9-9 tie match, using a responding 6-2 run to go up, 15-11. Queens kept close in the match until the 20-17 mark, when North Alabama won five-straight points to claim the third set.
SET 4: UNA 25, QOC 23
The best attacking frame of the match for UNA, the Lions used 19 kills to rally from a six-point deficit and send the match to a fifth-and-final set. Brooks' seven set kills sparked the offense, with five other Lions contributing kills to rally back from two set down. North Alabama fell behind early and trailed for the majority of the set, but UNA won six-straight points to take a one-point lead late. The Lions trailed 22-17 as the frame ended, but a 6-0 run secured the late lead and led to the narrow set victory.
SET 5: UNA 15, QOC 11
The Lions scored the first three points of the set and never looked back, using timely offense to take the battle in Florence. UNA held the 8-6 kill advantage in the set, also using a service ace from McGowan to push past the Royals. Queens remained fairly close but could not overcome North Alabama's early run as the Lions won the match on the final set. Brooks had a kill on the 14th point and Queens responded with a kill to survive, but a service error by Queens ended the decider at 15-11.
UP NEXT
North Alabama's home stand continues Wednesday, Oct. 27 with a midweek bout against Central Arkansas at 6 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
