MEMPHIS-Visiting West Alabama outlasted the Christian Brothers University Lady Bucs in five sets Saturday afternoon at Canale Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED:• The Lady Bucs (6-11, 3-7 GSC) built a 12-4 lead in the first set and never allowed the Tigers (7-10, 5-5) closer than five points again in a 25-19 victory.
• In the second set, UWA used a 5-1 run to take a 13-9 lead they would not relinquish, but CBU clawed within one point as late as 18-17 before the Tigers pulled away to a 25-20 win.
• The Tigers never trailed in the third set, using a three-point run to break a 5-5 tie after the teams alternated the first 10 points. After CBU trimmed the lead to 22-20 late, the Tigers used three straight Morgan Ray kills to win the set 25-20.
• The Lady Bucs used four aces in a 7-1 start to the fourth set, extending their lead to 14-4 with another three-point run, and they never allowed UWA closer than six points again in a 25-14 win to force a decisive fifth set.
• Neither team led by more than two points in the first half of the fifth set, with six ties, the last at 8-8. The Tigers scored four straight to take a 12-8 lead, but CBU answered with a three-point run to pull within 12-11 on an
Alexis Gillis (Corpus Christi, Texas/Carroll HS) kill, but UWA scored three of the last four points to win 15-12.
KEY STATS:• Gillis led the Lady Bucs with match-highs of 18 kills and five aces to go with eight digs and four assists.
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Jessica Reber (Byron, Ill./Byron HS) dished out 45 assists with 15 digs, four aces and three blocks.
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Brinsley Cooper (Rossville, Ind./Rossville HS) rapped out 12 kills, hitting .391.
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Blythe Clausen (Hendersonvile, Tenn./Pope John Paul II HS) notched 11 digs.
WHAT'S NEXT:The Lady Bucs open the second half of the GSC schedule Tuesday night at 7 p.m. as they host Shorter.
