The three-game home stand for Alabama volleyball ended in a loss as it fell in three sets to Tennessee on Sunday.

Alabama’s normal energy was just not there in the match against Tennessee as it committed 12 errors in the match. The Volunteers took the lead early in each set and Alabama could not seem to rally back from that. The first two sets Alabama was able to tie the score early on, but was unable to keep up with Tennessee’s offense. In the third set, Tennessee took a 4-0 lead at the beginning and Alabama lacked the momentum to come back to win.

“It comes back to mental preparation and understanding that for these matches in SEC you have to really be confident in your training and trust your training,” coach Lindsey Devine said. “When you have that moment of self doubt because an opponent pushes back at you at the very beginning of the game and you kind of abandon all your training and abandon the scouting report then all of a sudden your opponent has you.”

Junior outside hitter Doris Carter led the team in kills for the fifth-straight match as she finished with 14. Outside of Carter the team struggled to find consistency on offense as the Crimson Tide finished the match with a .206 hitting percentage. Junior setter Meghan Neelon was one dig short of her second consecutive double-double as she finished the match with nine digs and 18 assists.

Alabama embarks on its last road trip of the season with its first stop in Columbia, Missouri as the Crimson Tide take on the Tigers. The last time these two teams played, it was Missouri who walked away victorious in five sets.

“If individually our players set some mini goals for themselves then you know I believe that they will see all the things will connect that we have been reinforcing as coaches,” Devine said.