No. 7 Alabama gymnastics took a trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana last week and fell to the No. 6 LSU Tigers in a close match. This Friday, the Crimson Tide will take on the Tigers from Missouri in Coleman Coliseum, looking to stay perfect at home.

In previous meets, Alabama has drawn crowds to cheer on “Team 48” as it welcomes around 10,000 spectators each meet. In comparison, No. 9 Missouri averages 1,137 spectators at its home meets at Hearnes Center. 

“We want those students to come out and bring the energy, and it’s a home setting, which the girls love, and they thrive off of,” head coach Dana Duckworth said. 

Despite the loss last week, Duckworth has seen progress in her team each week. 

“It’s the continued discipline and mental toughness and unity this team needs to continue to progress,” Duckworth said. 

For the third week in the row, Lilly Hudson was named the SEC Freshman of the Week, this time because of a career-best all-around score of 39.550 against the LSU Tigers. 

Graduate student Lexi Graber had a near-perfect score of 9.975 on the vault against LSU, which led to pure elation. 

“It shows how much hard work we put in, and when it finally pays off, it really is an indescribable feeling,” Graber said. 

Alabama gymnastics recently hired new vault coach Gina Quinlan, who boasts a 20-plus-year career in club gymnastics. 

 “We’re getting a lot of new drills and basic stuff that we forgot about when we got to this level,” Graber said. 

Sophomore Cam Machado said the energy is different at meets when the athletes have confidence in each other. 

“As long as we’re all one out there, we can do anything,” Machado said. 

Event rankings

Vault

• Alabama: 
  • No. 8 nationally
  • Season average: 49.21
  • Season high: 49.5
• Missouri:
  • No. 15 nationally
  • Season average: 49.09
  • Season high: 49.25

Uneven bars

• Alabama:
  • No. 4 nationally
  • Season average: 49.36
  • Season high: 49.55
• Missouri:
  • No. 12 nationally
  • Season average: 49.18
  • Season high: 49.375

Balance beam

• Alabama: 
  • No. 3 nationally
  • Season average: 49.35
  • Season high: 49.65
• Missouri:
  • No. 9 nationally
  • Season average: 49.3
  • Season high: 49.25

Floor exercise

• Alabama: 
  • No. 8 nationally
  • Season average: 49.28
  • Season high: 49.625
• Missouri:
  • No. 10 nationally
  • Season average: 49.35
  • Season high: 49.6

First vault from Coleman Coliseum is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT and will be televised on the SEC Network. 

Questions? Email the sports desk at [email protected].