Following its first SEC win of the season, Alabama head coach Rashinda Reed was exuding excitement.
“It feels awesome,” Reed said. “I am so proud of these ladies, we work really hard, and to see all this work pay off, in our own home, it’s awesome.”
The win had been a long time coming for the Crimson Tide. Alabama was on a five-game losing streak, winning only three sets throughout the stretch. Yet with a 3-0 sweep over LSU, its first victory against the Tigers since 2020 and its first sweep of LSU since 2015, Alabama gained the confidence it desperately needed.
Following the emotional roller coaster from Friday’s win, the Crimson Tide braced for the Texas Longhorns, the No. 2 ranked team in the country and the 2023 National Champions. Alabama came prepared, winning Set 1, only the third set that Texas has lost in its last nine matches. The Longhorns powerhouse offense was just too much, and Texas won the next three sets to claim a 3-1 victory.
Yet even with the loss, Alabama feels as though it showed how it truly is as a team.
“Next weekend we’re going to have that fight, have that belief, and have that identity on the board,” Trinity Stranger said.
Alabama has a chance to make that name for itself this weekend. The Crimson Tide will take on the Georgia Bulldogs who sit at 11-5, with a 3-3 SEC record followed by a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks, who sit at 7-9 and a 1-5 SEC record, which is a five-way tie for last in the SEC.
After a tough first stretch of first games, Alabama’s schedule is hit or miss the rest of the way. The team plays Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Arkansas, who are all tied with the Crimson Tide at 1-5 in SEC play as well as Missouri who is 2-4. Alabama also must face Tennessee, Kentucky and Oklahoma, who are in the top 5 in SEC standings.
It may be an uphill battle, but Alabama is ready for it.
“Everybody has each other’s back,” Sophie Agee said. “We are all working toward the same goal, so we are trending upwards.”
