Alabama played its final series of the regular season over the weekend, defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores and Missouri Tigers. It was the first time since 2021 that the Crimson Tide won back-to-back conference games. Alabama now finishes the season 13-12, with a 5-10 SEC record.
Game 1: Alabama 3, Vanderbilt 1
Alabama was victorious in its Friday matchup, beating Vanderbilt by a final score of 3-1. It was the teams’ first matchup in over 40 years.
Alabama came out hot in Set 1, dominating Vanderbilt the whole way and winning 25-19. Vanderbilt bounced back in Set 2, taking a 12-6 lead. Alabama came back and tied it up at 15-15, but Vanderbilt finished strong and won 25-22.
Alabama bounced right back in Set 3, securing a 25-21 win and taking a 2-1 lead. The Crimson Tide finished the job in Set 4, with a 5-point comeback 25-21 win.
“Our team really stepped it up,” head coach Rashinda Reed said. “They were incredibly relentless, and you could tell they wanted this match tonight. Our ladies stepped up in a lot of different areas. Every person pulled their weight on the court.”
Alabama dominated offensively. The Crimson Tide had a total of 55 kills, its most in an SEC game all season. The team also had a .310 hitting percentage compared to Vanderbilt’s .202.
Victoria Barrett led the way for the Crimson Tide offense. Barrett had 17 kills, 31 total attacks, and 18 points with a .452 hitting percentage. Sophie Agee was right behind her with nine kills, 21 total attacks and 10 points. Hannah Parant had 39 of Alabama’s 50 assists. The Crimson Tide also kept the attacking errors down, with 19 compared to Vanderbilt’s 25.
Game 2: Alabama 3, Missouri 1
Alabama completed its weekend sweep with a win over the Missouri Tigers.
Alabama dominated the first set, winning 25-17. Missouri responded quickly in Set 2, winning 25-16, finishing the set on a 10-5 run. Alabama got off to a hot start in Set 3, taking a 10-4 lead and winning the set 25-16. Alabama then went on to use that momentum in Set 4 to complete the win, with a 25-23 victory.
“We put in a lot of hard work to get to this point,” Barrett said. “We are really glad it clicked at the end of the season.”
Barrett earned herself her ninth double-double of the season, with 10 digs and 20 kills, a team high. Parant once again led the way with 49 assists, her highest in an SEC game and just two shy of her season high. Ashby Daniel dominated the front with four blocks.
Alabama will now get ready to play in the first round of the SEC Tournament against South Carolina, whom Alabama previously swept on Oct. 19. The first round begins on Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. CT. Viewers can stream on ESPN+.
“We just got to play with confidence,” Kaleigh Palmer said. “If we play together as a team, we can do really good things, so that’s what we need to do.”
