CARROLLTON, Ga. - The UWG Volleyball team won a hard fought non-conference battle against Alabama A&M on Tuesday night, outlasting the Bulldogs 3-2 at The Coliseum to improve to 5-2. 

After taking a convincing two set lead, the Wolves were forced to go the distance with the visiting Bulldogs, but in the end overcame AAMU's comeback effort to win their fifth out of seven to open UWG's inaugural Division I season.

"Another gritty win for our program tonight," said head coach Kara Hellmann, "Credit to Alabama A&M's team and the adjustments they made coming into set three." 

In the opening set, the two teams went back and forth until an 8-2 UWG run put the Wolves up 17-10. Alabama A&M would not lay down from there, battling back to force Hellmann to take a timeout with a 17-15 lead. The Bulldogs would pull even twice down the stretch of the set, but a kill by Mary Morgan Formby forced set point and Callaway Cason put it away with a service ace.

West Georgia flexed their muscles in the second, taking the lead for good at the 3-2 mark. From there, the Wolves would hit .312 in the set and defensively lock down the Bulldogs to the tune of a .031 hitting percentage. Marley Staats would win the second set for UWG, putting down her eighth kill of the match.

Facing a "win-or-go-home" situation in the third, Alabama A&M won a tightly-contested set. Neither team led by more than three and the set featured 17 ties. In the end, it was Alabama A&M who got the last two points, claiming the set 26-24.

Alabama A&M would force a decisive fifth set by hitting .297 in the frame and took advantage of five UWG attack errors to win the fourth, 25-23.

West Georgia would withstand Alabama A&M's attempt to reverse sweep by winning the fifth set, 15-10. Mary Morgan Formby and Zoë LaBreche finished the set with six kills combined, which allowed the Wolves to secure a win.

Three Wolves had double-digit kills, led by 16 from Marley Staats while Zoe LaBreche had 15 and Sanai Young chipped in with 10. Callaway Cason coninued her great start at setter, racking up 52 assists. Defensively, Victoria Schmer led the way with 19 while LaBreche and Maggie Kachmarik each had 17.

"While our team continues to work on consistency and efficiency I am so proud of our fight and ability to find ways to win," Hellmann concluded. 

West Georgia will be back in action on Friday at the Golden Eagle Invitational, with matchups against Radford, Tennessee Tech, and Nicholls.