MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner's season drew to a close Friday at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl as the Lady Eagles split their last two matches, losing 3-1 to Mobile to start the day before closing the season with a sweep of Brewton-Parker.
MOBILE 3, FAULKNER 1 (24-26, 25-4, 25-13, 25-23)
Close sets sandwiched tough mid-match sets for the Lady Eagles. After clutching in the first, saving two set points, Faulkner won the next two to take the match lead. However, the Rams dominated the next two frames 50-17 to put the No. 5 seeded Faulkner behind the eight ball. Faulkner led 22-18 in the fourth trying to force the fifth, but the Rams won seven of the last eight points to end it in four.
Hannah Bryan and
Alyssa Stagner each had double-doubles with Stagner moving into fourth all-time for the Lady Eagles in assists, surpassing Katie Musser.
Mallory Black returned to the floor for the first time in nearly two months in the second set after an injury saw her miss most of the conference regular season.
FAULKNER 3, BREWTON-PARKER 0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-14)
Taking the floor knowing it was the last match, the Lady Eagles put together a performance to be proud of to end the season, hitting .301, the highest percentage the team hit since September 4 against Fisk for the third-highest clip of the season.
Alysa Vinson's serve put Faulkner in the driver's seat with three aces in the first set to cruise to the match lead. She ended the match with five aces.
Owings hit four kills in the first seven points of the second set to give the Lady Eagles a comfortable 6-1 lead that would not sink below three.
Another 6-1 start put Faulkner ahead for good in the third as Stagner had an assist and an ace in the first four points.
Jenna Sykes earned her first collegiate kill to make the set 5-1 and the lead would not falter below four after that point. Vinson closed the match with her two other aces back-to-back.
10 different Lady Eagles earned kills on the team's 35, paced by
Haven Owings's eight kills on 10 swings with no errors for an .800 percentage. Stagner split time with
Macy Kemper and combined for 31 of the team's 35 with Stagner totalling a match-high 25.
The team hit seven aces and held the Barons to an .071 attack percentage.
Faulkner concludes the season 13-17 and the third-placed team in Pool A.