Alabama lost to the No. 20 Tennessee Lady Volunteers Wednesday night in Knoxville 3-2, falling to 8-4 on the season and 0-1 in the SEC.
Tennessee was dominant in Set 1, taking an early 5-4 lead and never looking back, eventually winning the set 25-17. However, Alabama was able to bounce back and win Set 2 in extra time 27-25, tying the game at a set apiece.
This momentum didn’t last long for Alabama, as Tennessee was able to pick up the lead once more in Set 3, winning 25-20.
With Tennessee only needing one more set to claim victory, Alabama was able to come back and tie the game with a 25-23 win in the fourth set. After such an effort, however, the Lady Volunteers got out to a quick lead in the fifth set that Alabama wasn’t able to overcome, going on to win 15-11.
Despite the loss, head coach Rashinda Reed was proud of how her team played.
“It was a hard-fought match, but in the end it’s all about the little things,” Reed said.
Alabama’s offense matched Tennessee’s, having more attacks (167-165) and only three fewer kills (62-59), but in the end, the Lady Volunteers’ defense proved too much. The teams tied in number of digs at 73, but Tennessee outplayed Alabama up front with 11 blocks compared to the Crimson Tide’s six.
“This team does battle,” Reed said. “It’s now just more about finishing. We’ve just got to finish.”
Alabama had several stars in the game, with four players finishing with double-digit kills and points. Fifth-year senior Chaise Campbell had 11 kills and 26 total attacks on a .385 hitting percentage, and senior Paris Thompson finished with 12 kills and 31 total attacks for 12.5 points.
Alabama has to fix some of its small-scale issues in order to achieve its first SEC win of the season.
“We just gotta focus on playing cleaner,” Reed said.
The team’s next match will be against in-state rival Auburn on Sunday at 4 p.m. CT. Viewers can watch on SEC Network.
