This proved to be another challenging weekend for the volleyball team, as the Crimson Tide suffered back-to-back losses; Texas A&M on Friday and LSU on Sunday. However, Alabama could not sustain its momentum, resulting in a 0-13 SEC record so far.
Texas A&M (0-3: 20-25, 15-25, 18-25)
While Alabama typically showcases an impressive hitting performance, this game deviated from its .227 average. Middle blockers Alyiah Wells and Chaise Campbell, along with outside hitter Kendyl Reaugh were the only players able to maintain their hitting percentages above zero. Wells secured a .167, Campbell a .143 and Reaugh a .094 average.
On the flip side, outside hitter Kaleigh Palmer, middle blocker Jordyn Towns and setter Callie Kieffer struggled, recording -.038, .-200 and -.500, respectively, resulting in the team’s collective hitting percentage plummeting to .028 — Alabama’s lowest combined hitting percentage of the season.
“I definitely think this was one of our worst showings of the season in terms of playing collectively as a team and executing offense and defense,” libero Victoria Schmer said.
Despite the challenges, Reaugh led the team in kills with eight, followed by Wells and Palmer with seven and four, respectively.
The team didn’t achieve any solo blocks this game, but managed 10 block assists, courtesy of Wells, Towns, Campbell, Kieffer and Palmer, which helped compensate for the team’s struggling offense.
Reaugh came close to securing her seventh double-double of the season, needing just two more kills alongside her 10 digs. Schmer spearheaded the defensive efforts with 12 digs, while defensive specialist Francesca Bertucci contributed seven.
While the team’s offense fell short of its usual effectiveness, another issue showed signs of improvement. The team typically ends with six to eight service errors, but in this game, it managed to limit service errors to just three. This is a step forward, especially when compared with the Aggies’ nine errors.
LSU (1-3: 25-18, 18-25, 16-25, 16-25)
In a significant shift, the Crimson Tide took the first set of the match for the first time in 17 games. However, despite this positive start, the team couldn’t maintain momentum and ultimately fell to the Tigers in the following three sets.
“I think further on in the game, we could have done a better job of keeping our foot on the gas and not allowing them to go on so many runs,” Schmer said. “That’s obviously something that can’t happen if we’re going to be successful.”
Wells had an outstanding performance, achieving a .522 hitting percentage with 13 kills. Even LSU’s skilled libero, Erin Carmichael, with 16 digs, struggled to handle Wells’ hits.
Campbell and Towns also put up impressive numbers, totaling 13 kills with hitting percentages of .400 and .250, respectively.
The Crimson Tide dominated in the first set, preventing the Tigers from reaching 20 points before closing it out. Despite Alabama’s proven ability in the second and third sets, they struggled to regain momentum.
The narrative shifted after the first set, as LSU’s outside hitters, Jurnee Robinson and Ellie Echter, notched a combined 27 kills against the Crimson Tide’s defense, proving this would not be an easy win for Alabama.
“We never expect any game to be easy,” Campbell said. “We were ready to fight. And you can see that in the first step, the way we came out, how strong we came out, vocally, physically, everything. But we just got to figure out a way to continue that throughout the game and stay consistent.”
Wells secured the only solo block of the game, but there were 12 block assists from Wells, Towns, Campbell, Kieffer, Reaugh and Palmer.
Despite seven attack errors, Reaugh’s seven successful kills brought her career total to 961.
Even though Reaugh’s seven attack errors gave her a hitting percentage of .000, with the seven kills she successfully executed, she was able to raise her career kills to 961.
With her 29 assists and 12 digs, Kieffer was able to notch her seventh double-double of the season, surpassing Reaugh, who had previously held the highest number.
Despite an increase in service errors compared with the previous game, with a total of five, the team managed to compensate for this, with Reaugh, defensive specialist Sydney Gholson, Schmer and Wells each contributing one service ace.
Although the results haven’t been the team’s favor, head coach Rashinda Reed continues to see the good things the team puts out and encourages them to continue, knowing it will eventually lead to success on the court.
“There’s a lot of good things that happened,” Reed said. “I felt like systematically, we did some really nice things. I was proud that we came out strong and took that first set, that hasn’t been something that we have done in the past. And so, I love the fact that ladies came out strong and made that change.”
The team continues its search for its first SEC win back in Tuscaloosa this Friday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. in a rematch against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
