MONTGOMERY, Ala. - With the 2022 season on the line on Friday, Nov. 11, the University of Mobile Volleyball team came away with not one, but two elimination match wins to advance to the finals of the 2022 SSAC Volleyball Championship match. The four-seed of Mobile began the day with a elimination match in pool play, sweeping opponent Faulkner, the five-seed, in straight sets in the process. The Rams later faced off with Loyola University (La.) in the semifinals of the conference tournament and defeated the Wolf Pack in four sets. With the SSAC receiving two automatic bids to the NAIA Volleyball Championship Tournament, Mobile has secured at least an at-large bid to NAIA Volleyball Nationals.
Mobile v. Faulkner Recap
Mobile started the day stellar on the offensive side in the 26-24, 25-20, 25-19 win over Faulkner University. The Rams hit .320 in the match, notching 37 kills on 116 attack attempts, and committed just 15 attack errors. Meanwhile, Faulkner struggled to get anything going on the offensive side, hitting below .200, while seeing the 2022 season come to an end.
Sophomore Layton Adams was a force for Mobile, leading all players on the court with 16 kills. Adams hit a solid .682 and came away with 10 assists and six digs. Freshman Corrina Porch-Maxey and Jordan Wood finished behind Adams with 10 kills each, both hitting over .420.
Tatum Beech led all players with 23 assists and Lexi Gillette finished with a team-high 18 digs, while Madison Bergeron finished with 14 digs in the victory.
Mobile's win secured the Rams a spot in the semifinals versus the Loyola University Wolf Pack, the three-seed of the conference tournament.
Rams Defeat Loyola in Four
With a spot to the conference championship on the line, Mobile faced off with Loyola in the semifinals and came away with the victory, 25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 25-19. Both offenses showed inconsistency in the four-set thriller, with Mobile hitting .219 and the Wolf Pack hitting .177. In 137 attack attempts, Mobile notched 54 kills and committed 24 errors. For Loyola, the Wolf Pack suffered 21 attack errors on 147 attempts, and finished with 47 kills.
Mobile Head Coach Jon Campbell saw three of his players finished with double-digit kill totals, with those being Corrina Porch-Maxey, Abby Andrews, and Layton Adams. Porch-Maxey led all players with 14 kills, bringing her total to 24 in two matches on Friday. For Andrews, the senior tallied 12 kills, with Layton Adams finishing with 11. Adams notched 27 total kills in both matches to pace the Rams in Friday's action.
In addition to Adams' great offensive day, she tallied 23 assists against Loyola and 12 digs. Tatum Beech once again led Mobile in assists, recording 26. In Campbell's 6-2 offense, Beech finished the day with an impressive 49 assists. Beech, along with Lexi Gillette led Mobile with 15 digs each, while Madison Bergeron finished with 12 digs in the win.
SSAC Volleyball Championship Bound
Mobile is now scheduled to face Blue Mountain College on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 2:00 p.m. CT in the 2022 SSAC Volleyball Championship match. Saturday's match will be played at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.
Both Mobile and Blue Mountain have won the last two SSAC Volleyball Championships, as Blue Mountain owns a 2-1 record over Mobile during the 2022 season. Saturday's conference championship will be broadcasted live at https://ssacsports.tv/.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
