BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. - Faulkner (6-9, 1-2 SSAC) took the opening set at Tyler Gymnasium over Blue Mountain Christian (6-6, 2-0 SSAC), but the Volley Toppers took the last three frames to come out on top (22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-23) Saturday afternoon.
Despite tallying less kills in each set, the Lady Eagles committed two less hitting errors to take the hitting battle in the first .176 to .128. They trailed 8-3 after four kills by Marissa Gerleman of BMCU and three attack errors, but Riley Deem put down a solo block, Jakaya Smith sent home a kill and the duo then split consecutive blocks to get their team within one. After the teams went back and forth, Deem tied it up with a kill before sharing a block with Olivia Kelly to give Faulkner its first lead at 15-14 and then repeating the feat to tie things up again at 16-all. The next two rallies went to the hosts to eventually lead 22-20 after an exchange of rallies. However, the next five went to Faulkner to take the match lead off an attack error, a Caroline Sticker ace, two kills by Deem and one by Smith with the kills off Kelly assists.
The Toppers would go one to even the match after taking the first five points of the second set and never allowing Faulkner to get within less than two points. Down by three early in the third frame, Faulkner got within one with kills from Kelly and Emma Hayes before eventually taking a 9-6 lead with a 5-0 run built with two Topper errors, an Aubrie Hinson kill and two Sticker aces. However, four of the next five and seven of the next 10 rallies went to Blue Mountain as it retook the lead. The latter eventually took four of five for a 19-16 lead before Faulkner did the same to tie it at 20 apiece thanks to a solo block and kill by Smith, a service error and a Hayes kill. The Toppers scored kills on five of their next six rallies to take the match lead.
The fourth set followed largely the same script as BMCU jumped out to a large lead, eventually growing it to 13-7 before the Lady Eagles scored five straight to draw within one. Trailing 16-13 after four more rallies, Faulkner took off on a 7-0 run helped by kills from Kynsi Hazzard, Deem and Hinson and an ace by Jaylyn Strength. The Toppers took the next five points with a Gerleman kill, two Sydney Tague aces and two Sticker attack errors and kept Faulkner at arm's length to finish off the match.
BMCU outhit Faulkner .193 to .127 and claimed the hitting advantage in the last three sets. The Toppers claimed every major stat except blocks, which the Lady Eagles claimed 13-6.
Deem and Smith tied for the team lead with 10 kills. Smith tallied a double-double with a team-best 18 digs as well as four total blocks. Deem accomplished hers on a team-leading .444 output with another team best mark of nine blocks. In a shift to a 5-1 offensive system for the first time this season, Olivia Kelly dished out 35 assists to go with eight digs and three blocks. Hazzard and Hayes each scored six kills. Sticker and Strength each dug 13 balls, and Sticker added the three aces. Jo Lundy put up six digs.
Faulkner returns home this Friday, Sep. 25, at 6 pm against Brewton-Parker Christian.
