Next Match: Southern 9/15/2017 | 10 A.M. CT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After falling in the opening set, Alabama volleyball battled to a close victory in set two before scoring a pair of convincing set victories to defeat Samford Tuesday night, 3-1, by set scores of 23-25, 26-24, 25-12 and 25-15.

Alabama (8-2) fell by two points in the opening set to Samford (3-5) before evening the match with a two-point victory in the second set. After intermission, the Tide took a 2-1 match lead with a convincing 25-12 win in set three and closed it out with a 25-15 victory in set four. Freshman Christine Jarman , senior Leah Lawrence and sophomore Hayley McSparin each finished the match with a team-leading 11 kills, while Jarman added 13 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Junior Quincey Gary , the SEC Defensive Player of the Week, posted 23 digs and freshman Meghan Neelon finished with 40 assists.

After the two teams traded evenly over the first eight points, Alabama scored four-straight points to take its largest lead of the set so far, 8-4. Leading by the same margin later, 11-7, Neelon made it a five-point game with a service ace and Samford took a timeout now trailing 12-7. The Bulldogs fought back to retake the lead, 15-13, but the Tide quickly moved back in front with a solo block by Ginger Perinar making it 16-15 in Alabama's favor. The teams were tied again at the 20-point mark and Alabama spent its first timeout trailing 22-21. Samford would eventually hold on to win set one, 25-23.

Set two was another close battle at the start, with Samford taking the early momentum to pull ahead 9-6. Alabama rallied with five-straight points, capped by a kill from Neelon on an overpass, before Samford had to take a timeout with the Tide now in front 11-9. Alabama remained in front until Samford rallied to tie it at 15-15, but the Tide pulled back ahead with three-straight points and the Bulldogs took its second timeout with the score now 18-15. Samford immediately retook the lead after the break with four unanswered points, forcing Alabama to take a timeout now trailing 19-18. Tied at 22-22, a solo block by Jarman and a kill by Jennifer Casillas gave Alabama set point, 24-22, but the Bulldogs came back to tie the frame at 24-24. The Tide eventually held on to win the set, 26-24, and even the match at 1-1.

Leading 4-3 early in set three, Alabama scored four-straight points to extend its lead to 8-3. The Tide stuffed four blocks in the first half of set three, with the fourth coming off the hands of Neelon and Lawrence to give Alabama a 11-6 lead as Samford called a timeout. The Tide continued to extend its lead, eventually moving ahead by nine points on a kill by McSparin with the Bulldogs taking its final timeout down 18-9. The Tide continued to roll, closing out the set with a 7-3 run to win, 25-12, and take a 2-1 match lead.

Alabama scored first in set four and held the early lead, up by five at Samford's first timeout, 10-5. The Tide scored three straight after the break to extend the lead to 13-5 and led the by same margin at Samford's second timeout, 18-10. Alabama would reach set point with a nine-point lead, 24-15, and a kill by McSparin would give Alabama the set, 25-15, and the 3-1 match victory.

This weekend, Alabama returns to Foster Auditorium to host the Crimson-White Tournament beginning on Friday, Sept. 15 against Southern and Murray State at 10 a.m. CT and 7:30 p.m. CT, respectively. The Tide concludes its weekend facing Troy on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. CT.

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