LOUISVILLE, Ky. (November 14, 2024) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team dropped its first road match of the final regular season road swing with a 3-2 defeat to the Bellarmine Knights in Kentucky on Thursday evening.

The Lions (15-13, 9-6 ASUN) traveled to the Bluegrass State, facing the Knights (7-18, 4-11 ASUN) for round two after winning the first match, 3-1, on Oct. 6 in Florence. Playing in Louisville for the second meeting, the Knights used the home-court advantage to give the Lions a battle that lasted all five sets.

The teams took turns claiming set wins, with Bellarmine overcoming a deficit to take the first. North Alabama's offense propelled the Lions to a second-set win to counter. The third and fourth sets were nearly identical to the first and second, with the match setting up to be won in the final frame. The Knights started strong in the fifth set, but the Lions responded with a rally to keep the set close. Despite the late run, North Alabama could not overcome the deficit en route to falling in the 3-2 marathon in Kentucky.

Despite the result, senior Katy Floyd had a record night in the road defeat. Returning home to play in her hometown of Louisville, Floyd set a career-high with 25 kills on a .383 hitting percentage. She also registered a double-double on the evening with 10 digs, tacking on an additional three service aces.

The attack duo of graduate Jasmine Brooks and freshman Reese Ricketts contributed double-digit kills to partner with Floyd, with Brooks totaling 14 kills and Ricketts adding 12. Ricketts extended her double-digit kill streak to an 18th-straight match while securing her 15th double-double of the season with 13 digs.

Freshman Kinslee McGowan led UNA with 44 assists, while freshman Audrey Small totaled 17 digs – the highest among all Lions players. Freshman Amelia Keating rounded out the leaders with a career-high five blocks.


HOW IT HAPPENED


SET 1: BU 25, UNA 23

The Lions started all the momentum in the first set, but the Knights' used a key run midway through to rally back to an opening win. UNA separated themselves early, building a lead as high as seven points, but at the 17-10-mark, Bellarmine ran off four-straight points to cut the North Alabama lead to 17-14. UNA scored two points to respond, but the Knights answered back with six points to take a 20-19 lead. The teams continued to battle, with Bellarmine holding the 24-23 advantage, but the Knights secured the 1-0 set lead with a 25-23 set win.

SET 2: UNA 25, BU 18

A second-set response came for North Alabama, who tied things up with a solid frame to earn the win. Offensively, the Lions were on fire to the tune of 16 kills on a .640 hitting percentage and zero attack errors. Floyd was a catalyst for UNA's attack, giving the Lions a spark with eight kills in the set. Despite North Alabama's performance, Bellarmine kept it relatively close as the set came down to its end. UNA led by three points with the score line at 20-17, but a 5-1 run solidified the set with a 25-18 victory.

SET 3: BU 25, UNA 22

The match turned into a back-and-forth affair as the third set was claimed by the Knights. Bellarmine had an improved performance in the frame, rebounding from a team .188 attack percentage in the second set to a .282 percentage in the third. North Alabama cooled from its excellent second-set performance but still produced with a solid 13 kills on a .212 hitting percentage. The Lions started with the lead for the first five points, but the Knights gained the lead and never looked back en route to taking the third set. UNA never trailed by more than four points in the set, but timely offense from Bellarmine secured the 2-1 set advantage with North Alabama now needing to win the next two sets.

SET 4: UNA 25, BU 18

Down but never out, the Lions battled back from down 12-5 to send the match into a fifth-and-final set. Bellarmine continued rolling from the previous set, jumping out to the seven-point lead, but the Lions chipped away the Knights lead thanks to a mid-set run. UNA scored seven-straight points to make the score line 12-10, eventually tying the score at 14 apiece. With the score at 16 all, North Alabama won four-straight points off contributions from Brooks, Ricketts and McGowan. UNA maintained its late-lead to claim the set, 25-18, setting up the do-or-die fifth set.

SET 5: BU 15, UNA 13

The final set was competitive all the way down to the final point, but Bellarmine's early run to begin proved enough to claim the final set. North Alabama scored the first point of the set, but a 3-0 run switched the lead in the Knights' favor. A second Bellarmine run gave the Knights a 7-2 advantage, with the Lions needing a run to close the gap. North Alabama answered the call, winning six of the next 10 points to pull within three at 11-8. UNA continued to fight, surviving match point three times with a kill from Brooks, an attack error by Bellarmine and a Lankford Gurner service ace, but a kill by Natalie Bland ended the marathon at 15-13.


UP NEXT

North Alabama ends the 2024 regular season in Richmond, Ky., taking on the EKU Colonels on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram