HOUSTON, Texas (September 19, 2025) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team closed day one of the Cougar Challenge with a strong, three-set sweep Friday afternoon over the McNeese Cowgirls at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas.

North Alabama (6-5) opened the weekend invitational with a statement win over McNeese. The Lions earned their third sweep in the last four matches and used a record-breaking display from service to start 1-0 in Houston. UNA finished with 14 aces against the Cowgirls and set a Division I program record for single-match aces.

The Lions had an all-round attacking display, led by junior Kendall Barnes with 11 kills. Sophomore Dylann Garner tallied eight kills while junior Nicole Sargent and sophomore Reese Ricketts finished third on the team with five.

With her fifth kill of the game, Ricketts achieved a career milestone with 500 kills.

Sophomore Kinslee McGowan led the match with 29 assists and led all players with a career-high four aces. Barnes registered a career-high three aces with junior Olivia Fenoff also finishing with three.

Fenoff totaled 10 digs for the match lead, and Barnes tied sophomore Amelia Keating with a team-leading two blocks.

North Alabama struck first in set one, using eight service aces to take a 1-0 lead. The frame went back-and-forth after 12 points when a 4-0 UNA run put the Lions up 10-6. Another UNA run increased the lead to 15-9, but the Lions continued their charge after the media timeout with an ensuing 9-5 run. North Alabama had its largest lead at 24-14 and saw the set out with a 25-16 win.

UNA's efficient attack and service game continued to shine in the second frame. North Alabama never trailed in the set and landed four aces to increase the match total to 12. The Lions also finished with a match-high .378 attack percentage in the set. A strong UNA start saw the Lions grab an early 11-4 lead. A 5-1 McNeese run cut UNA's lead to 12-9, but North Alabama responded with a 5-0 run for a 17-9 advantage. The Lions outscored the Cowgirls 8-6 the rest of the frame to win set two, 25-15.

The Lions dropped the first two points in set three but regained control with an 8-1 run to take the lead back. UNA increased the advantage to nine after a McNeese timeout, holding a 14-5 advantage over the Cowgirls. North Alabama continued to surge with a 9-4 run and led to the team's largest lead of the set at 23-9. The Lions secured the 3-0 victory with a 25-13 third-set triumph.


UP NEXT

The Lions continue the Cougar Challenge on Saturday, Sept. 20 with bouts against Houston and Liberty at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

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