MONTGOMERY, Ala. – In both matches featuring the hosts on the final day of the Faulkner Invitational at Tine Davis Gymnasium, the winning team won three consecutive sets after dropping the first. The Lady Eagles again finished the day with mixed results, as they defeated Warner but were unable to get the upper hand on Freed-Hardeman in the nightcap.

Faulkner 3, Warner 1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20)

Faulkner led in almost every category in this one to gain a hard-fought win. Alyssa Stagner kicked things off with an ace, which, along with a kill and ace from Hannah Bryan, staked the team to a 3-1 lead. The Royals would storm right back, however, scoring 11 of the next 14 points. Down 13-8, the Lady Eagles came up with the next eight to take a three-point lead, with the scores coming via five kills from the combination of Julia Rice, Bryan and Brianna Dukes, a service error and two Rice blocks that caused errors. Momentum swung back in favor of the Royals with a 4-0 run to take the lead back, and from then on, Warner was able to respond to every Faulkner charge with double the points.

This set saw a libero change beforehand from Alysa Vinson to Sarah-Gracen Watts. Mallory Black gave her team a permanent lead at 8-5 with two kills and a block, combined with a Vinson kill; Stagner provided the assist for each of these plays. Holding onto an 16-12 lead, Vinson started the clinching 6-1 run with a kill and service ace, which also included a Bryan kill and three consecutive attack errors during Watts' service.

A 6-0 run in the third, plus another five points in response to four by Warner, pushed the Lady Eagles' lead to 17-10. Ahead 23-17, the home team had to hold on for dear life as the Royals surged to tie the game with their own 6-0 run, but a Vinson kill and an attack error gave Faulkner the series advantage.

The match was largely won thanks to a 11-point run in the final set. After giving up an opening ace, the run consisted of five kills and five more errors with a Bryan service ace. When Warner pulled the lead to 16-9, Bryan tallied the next four kills for her team, and Haven Owings, Stagner and Vinson put on the finishing touches.

Bryan and Vinson led Faulkner on the score sheet with double-doubles, from the former's 15 kills, 18 digs and 17 points, and the latter's 12, 15 and 14.5 of those statistics. Black scored 11 points with 10 kills out of 22 attempts, while Rice scored 13 on nine kills, with two blocks and four more assisted. Stagner claimed all but four of Faulkner's 49 set assists with 16 digs. She, Vinson and Bryan each tallied two aces, and Watts and Jordan Stewart had 13 and 11 scoops, respectively. 

Freed-Hardeman 3, Faulkner 1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-22)

In this matchup between the Church of Christ sister-schools, with Head Coach Tori Renda going up against her alma mater and college coach, the result was indicative of the rivalry's history, as the Lady Lions from Henderson, Tenn., have now won 12 of the 15 games they have played across the net from the Eagles. Just as Faulkner did in the previous match, Freed-Hardeman led in all but one category, simply outexecuting the Lady Eagles down the stretch in a back-and-forth contest. Freed-Hardeman had nine aces, while holding the latter to just one. 

The opening period was one extensive back-and-forth affair on its own. After the visitors had five points in a span of seven to take a 23-21 lead, the hosts stole one with a 4-0 run. Faulkner was given the serve with a Vinson kill, and three consecutive errors from the Lions won the set. 

The second mirrored the first, as, until the set's closing, the match had not featured a lead of more than three points. Down 18-17, Victoria Wheeler, in the freshman's first career game at Tine Davis, got a kill to tie it. Freed-Hardeman would not be fazed, as its response was a 6-1 run to seal the set, with a Claire Walker service ace, a Stagner service error, a Rice attack error and three kills combined from Ashlynne Clifft and Avery Harris. Faulkner scored one more point via set error, but an Owings error gave the Lions their 25th point. 

The third set saw Courtney Reeves's return to the court for the first time since last season's regular season finale against Mobile. Tied at three, Faulkner won the next three points with an attack error and two Vinson kills from Stagner sets. Behind 12-11, the Lady Lions took control with an 8-2 run to claim a 19-14 lead. Faulkner narrowed the margin to two points, and when Freed-Hardeman responded, the Eagles made it a one-score game. Allie Humphry's kill pushed it to match point, and, though Wheeler killed it to get back to within one, Walker's kill ended it. 
It seemed that the Eagles could get off the ground in the final set, as they took a 5-1 lead with kills from Bryan, Rice and Stewart. With a 9-5 lead, however, the visitors responded in a big way with a 7-0 run. While down 19-16, Stagner assisted three kills to tie, scored by Mackenzie Littrell and Vinson. The Lions scored four of the next five, though, and a Vinson error gave them match point once again. Kacey Donegan's kill finished off Faulkner.

Rice continued her tear, tallying 11 kills with a .400 mark, to go with 15 points and six block assists. So did Vinson, who had 17 kills, 13 digs and 18 points, and Bryan, with 13 kills, 18 scoops and 13.5 points. Stagner racked up 39 assists, along with 13 digs and three block assists, and Watts collected 10 digs and four sets. Donegan led her team's effort with 21 kills, 23.5 points and 24 scoops. Harris had 10 kills, five aces, five digs and 16 points. Walker added 14 kills and 15.5 points, and Humphry claimed 55 assists with 14 digs while hitting .833 on six attacks. Emma Campbell, Bryce Morris and Katie Speaks scooped 31, 11 and 13, respectively. 

Now with a 3-5 record, Faulkner will head on the road next weekend to Cleveland, Ga. for its third tournament of this season, the Truett McConnell Invitational, before staying in Georgia for a match against Point.