Next Match: at Auburn 10/7/2018 | 1:30 p.m. CT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Alabama volleyball fell in a four-set decision at Tennessee Wednesday night, dropping the match with set scores of 21-25, 14-25, 25-21 and 20-25.

Alabama (13-5, 1-4 SEC) took a close loss in the opening set before Tennessee (13-4, 4-1 SEC) built a sizeable lead early in the second that carried the Lady Vols to an 11-point win to lead the match, 2-0. The Tide avoided the sweep with a 25-21 win in the third but dropped a close fourth to drop the match.

Junior Ginger Perinar led the Tide offense with 16 kills as one of three hitters in double figures, including sophomore Doris Carter who tallied 11 kills and digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Sophomore Kaylee Thomas led the back-row defense with a career-high 21 digs while senior Quincey Gary totaled 12, putting her 30 shy of fourth place on Alabama's career digs list.

Early in set one with the score tied for the sixth time at 7-7, Tennessee scored three-straight to build its largest lead so far, 10-7. The margin remained the same at the media timeout, 15-12, and Alabama took its first team timeout facing a four-point deficit at 18-14. The Lady Vols slowly stretched its lead to five points at the Tide's second timeout, 22-17, but a 3-1 Alabama run afterwards made it a 23-20 game and Tennessee was forced to call a timeout. The Lady Vols secured the set victory three points later, winning 25-21.

Tennessee scored three unanswered points to open the second frame and a four-point run later forced Alabama to call an early timeout trailing 7-2. Three more unanswered points increased the lead to 10-2 and Alabama spent its final timeout. Another point after the break stretched the streak to eight-straight before the Tide answered with a kill from junior Mahalia Swink . Tennessee continued to charge ahead, moving up by double-digits at 14-4 before a 5-1 Alabama run cut it to 15-9 and the Lady Vols called a timeout. Tennessee swung back ahead by double-digits, 21-11, and eventually won the set, 25-14, to build a 2-0 match lead.

Alabama scored the first point of the third set and, even with six tie scores, the Tide would not allow Tennessee to retake the lead. Tied at 6-6, a 4-1 run gave Alabama a 10-7 lead and Tennessee called its first timeout of the set. The Tide held a five-point lead at the Lady Vols' second timeout, 14-9, but Tennessee began to close the gap, eventually tying it at 17-17 after a 4-0 run as Alabama called a timeout. The Tide scored the next point after the break and would not trail the remainder of the set, eventually winning 25-21.

With Alabama ahead 3-1 early in the fourth, Tennessee responded with six-straight points to pull in front 7-3 and the Tide called its first timeout. Alabama answered right back with four unanswered to tie it at 7-7 but a five-point swing put Tennessee back ahead at the midpoint, 12-7. A 4-1 run from the Tide cut the deficit to 13-11 as the Lady Vols called a timeout. Alabama would draw within one, trailing 15-14, but four-straight from Tennessee put the home team ahead 19-14 before the Tide spent its final timeout. Each team scored five points to make it match point Tennessee, 24-19, and the Lady Vols won it two points later, 25-20, to take the match, 3-1.

The Tide hits the road again Sunday, Oct. 7, facing in-state rival Auburn (8-7, 1-4 SEC) at 1:30 p.m. CT. Alabama won the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season in Tuscaloosa, 3-1.