The Alabama volleyball team swept both matches over the weekend to improve to 23-8 on the season and 10-6 in the SEC.
After coming back in the first two sets against Ole Miss, Alabama swept the Rebels in three sets (32-30, 25-19, 25-22) Friday. Alabama faced off with Tennessee Sunday. It took nearly an hour and a half and two comebacks for the Crimson Tide to finish off the Lady Volunteers in three sets (25-17, 25-22, 25-23).
“It was less than our best effort but a great job of buckling down in a couple of sets and battling back and winning those,” coach Ed Allen said. “[It was] a little bit of a disappointment in terms of the energy at times, but I think we’re starting to see the signs of a long season catching up with a young team.”
Freshman Brittany Thomas stole the spotlight in both matches, putting up 15 and 18 kills Friday and Sunday, respectively. The match against Tennessee was the outside hitter’s 21st match of the season with double-digit kills.
“It was just fun to play,” Thomas said. “I don’t know. Just being at Alabama, you’re supposed to not like Tennessee, and I took that to heart. … I just tried to play my best for senior night and everything, and I owe it to the seniors.”
Thomas hit .452 and notched a stat in every category against the Lady Volunteers. She had one assist, eight digs, one service ace and one assisted block.
“It’s just great,” Thomas said. “I just wanted to come in for the program and make a difference and help them out as any way possible I could.”
With its 23rd win, the volleyball team is tied for most wins since 2005 and has a chance to surpass that number this week when it travels to Mississippi State Wednesday before playing its final match of the season Saturday at LSU.
It was the last home match of the season Sunday, and the team honored seniors Andrea McQuaid and Kelsey Melito. McQuaid put up five kills and hit .455 in her final match at home.
“It’s just great to know that the end of my career is just the beginning of something great, and I got to be the part of the beginning,” McQuaid said. “It’s very humbling, and I’m just excited for what the future has to come. I had a great experience with coach Allen. He’s an awesome coach. He really does push us as people and as athletes, and I couldn’t ask for a better place to be than Alabama.”
