MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner (9-14, 3-9 SSAC) finished off its second season sweep on Tuesday night at Tine Davis Gymnasium, this time with its third 3-0 (25-18, 25-9, 25-14) win over Stillman (2-15, 1-6 HBCUAC) this season and sixth in as many all-time meetings with the Tigers.
Despite Stillman leading at least once in each set and twice leading by three in both the first and third frames, Faulkner won comfortably on the stat sheet, leading the Tigers in points 55-24, kills 44-21 and blocks 8-1 while committing half as many errors. The Lady Eagles outhit the in-state rivals .340 to .033; the biggest differential came in the second frame when they scored 12 kills while holding the Tigers to three and winning the hitting battle .385 to -.174.
Stillman jumped out to a 3-0 lead to start off the match, but Madison Martin scored a kill to get her team on the board before she split a block with Allyse Rudolph to get within one and then another with Kaleigh Moss to give her team a 4-3 lead. The Tigers responded when trailing 9-7 with a 6-1 run to lead 13-10. Eight of the next nine rallies then went to Faulkner, as Rudolph racked up three kills, Charlee Jordan, Martin and Moss each scored one and Jaylyn Strength fired an ace. Leading 20-17, Rudolph started another run with a kill before Riley Deem and Kynsi Hazzard blocked an attack. A Deem kill made it set point and a Jordan kill tucked away the first set.
Rudolph scored three kills at one point in the second set, broken up only by a service error to stake her team to an 8-4 lead. Deem and Jordan went back and forth on a quartet of points before Jordan scored two more, one that preceded and one that followed two blocks by Martin, one solo and one assisted by Moss. Leading 16-8, the Lady Eagles ran away with the set with nine of the next 10 rallies for a 2-0 lead. All but two of the points came via Stillman errors, as Rudolph and Moss scored kills. Each of them also split a block with Martin in the span.
Stillman grabbed the lead for the last time in the third set at 9-6, but Faulkner had an answer once again with a 9-1 run thanks to kills from Hazzard, Deem, Martin, Jordan and Moss and an Addison Smith ace. Stillman scratched two back to pull within 15-12 before Jordan scored two more kills ahead of another from Hazzard. Points 20, 22 and 23 came via Rudolph kills off assists from Ellie Cyr. An ace by Chasity Broadhead made it match point before Deem and Hazzard converged on a block for the finishing touches on the contest.
Rudolph led both teams with 14 kills while hitting .306 and adding eight digs and two blocks. Jordan was just behind her with 11 kills but led all players with a .550 night. Deem came up just short of that with her .538 match with seven kills and a pair of blocks. Moss tallied six kills, six digs and three blocks. Martin was far and away the most productive at the net of both teams with six blocks, one solo, and four kills. Strength led all defensive players with 13 digs, and Kolbi Bates added nine. All three Faulkner setters had double-digit assists while no Stillman player reached that mark: Cyr led with 17, and Mandi Hart and Broadhead each chipped in 10.
Faulkner travels south this Thursday for its return trip to Mobile, the top team in the SSAC and No. 25 team in the country. First serve between the Lady Eagles and Rams is set for 6 pm.
