CARROLLTON, Ga. – UWG Volleyball dropped the final match of their two-match weekend on Saturday after a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the Alabama Huntsville Chargers.
Even though West Georgia recorded 19 team blocks, which ranks as the highest number of blocks in a single match this season across the Gulf South Conference, it wasn't enough as 61 kills from Alabama Huntsville led to a 3-2 win for the Chargers.
The Wolves got off to a great start in the match, winning the race to 10 by one in set number one. UWG quickly created some separation from UAH, as West Georgia took a 15-11 lead after an attack error from Alabama Huntsville which forced the Chargers to burn their first timeout of the match. Out of the timeout, UAH cut UWG's down to one before the Wolves used a 10-6 run to win the set 25-20.
Alabama Huntsville flipped the script in set two, winning the race to 10 by one. A block from
Marley Staats and
Sanai Young would tie the game at 13 and would be the first of 10 ties in the set. With the game tied once again, this time at 21, UAH scored four of the next five points to win the set 25-22.
UWG was a step behind Alabama Huntsville in set three, as the Wolves saw themselves in an early 13-8 deficit. Coach
Kara Hellmann let her young squad play through the Chargers' run, not calling a timeout, and saw her team use a 5-1 run to cut the deficit to 15-13, forcing a UAH timeout. Alabama Huntsville responded extremely well out of the timeout, as the Chargers went on a 7-1 lead to take a 21-14 lead. West
Georgia would throw a punch back, scoring the next four points but the set was just too far out of reach for UWG as UAH took it 25-20.
Facing a 2-1 deficit in the match, the Wolves blitzed the Chargers in set four, taking a commanding 14-5 lead and forcing an Alabama Huntsville timeout. Out of the timeout, the Chargers got right back in the set by going on an 8-1 run to make it a 15-13 game. UWG continued the game of runs as the Wolves went on a massive 10-2 run, which was carried by five points from Young, to clinch the set 25-15 and tie the match at two.
It was a rough start for West Georgia in set five, as UWG quickly found themselves down 6-2 in the race to 15. Down four with only nine points left to spare, coach Hellmann took her first timeout of the set which led to a 6-1 run for the Wolves, giving them their first lead of the set at 8-7. From there on out, UAH caught fire, putting down five kills, propelling the Chargers to a 15-11 set win.
Sarah Pipping led the way offensively with a team-high 10 kills, while Young racked up a career-high 10 blocks.
Isabella Steffel also recorded a career-high nine kills, with
Caitlin Frazee finishing behind her with six blocks, which tied her career high.
West Georgia will be back in action on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. for the home season finale against the Lee Flames