BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - After splitting two matches on Friday to begin the 2022 season, the University of Mobile Volleyball team returned to action on Saturday, Aug. 20 with two more matches in the Vette City Classic and came away with two straight-set wins, giving Mobile a 3-1 record to conclude the tournament. Mobile began the afternoon with a sweep over Williams Baptist (Ark.) and followed that with an impressive win over the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.).
Mobile 3, Williams Baptist (Ark.) 0
Mobile and Williams Baptist squared off for the first time in history on Saturday and saw the Rams dominate, sweeping the Eagles, 25-7, 25-14, 25-12. The offensive numbers were outstanding for Mobile as the team recorded 40 kills off a stellar .530 hitting percentage. The Rams made just five attack errors across the three sets.
Jordan Wood continued her impressive tournament thus far, hitting .692 with a match-high nine kills against Williams Baptist. Abby Andrews and Layton Adams shared the second-highest kill total in the match with seven kills each. Additionally, Adams, along with Tatum Beech, recorded 17 assists a piece in the victory.
On the defensive side, freshman libero Lexi Gillette recorded 11 digs, being the only Ram to record double-digit point totals. The Eagles struggled offensively throughout the entire match, hitting just .033 with 13 total kills. No player on the floor for Williams Baptist surpassed three kills.
Immediately after the win, Mobile had just an hour to prepare for their final match of the tournament, a meeting with the University of the Cumberlands.
Mobile 3, Cumberlands (Ky.) 0
In a much closer match later on Saturday afternoon, Mobile managed to record their third-straight win and their third-straight sweep with a 25-19, 25-20, 25-17 victory over the Cumberlands. It was a sweet victory for Mobile Head Coach Jon Campbell as he coached at what was then Cumberland College prior to his time with Mobile and recorded a 106-48 overall record with the Patriots. Campbell was named Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year during his time with Cumberland College. Since then, Campbell has put together an impressive resume at Mobile through 17 seasons, claiming six conference coach of the year awards and winning over 400 matches.
In Saturday's win over the Cumberlands, Mobile's offense struggled with consistency, only hitting .197 as a team. Fortunately for the Rams, the Cumberlands offense was worse as the Patriots hit just .104 in the defeat.
Abby Andrews led Mobile with 12 kills, while Layton Adams and Tatum Beech continued their role as setters. Adams finished with 17 assists and Beech recorded 16. Defensively, fifth-year senior Madison Bergeron played her best game of the tournament, leading all players with 16 defensive digs.
Tournament Recap
Overall, it was a successful opening weekend for Mobile, finishing the Vette City Classic with a 3-1 record over non-conference opponents. Freshman Corrina Porch-Maxey led all Rams with 39 kills, while Jordan Wood finished with the best hitting percentage at .569. Wood finished with the second-highest kill total at 32 kills across the four matches played. Abby Andrews led Mobile with 43 digs and Layton Adams led the team with 79 assists and 10 service aces.
Faulkner Invitational
Mobile will compete in another volleyball tournament next weekend as the team will travel a couple of hours north of Mobile, Ala. to Montgomery, Ala. for the Faulkner University Invitational. A full schedule of next weekend's tournament can be found below.
- Fri. Aug. 26 - Mobile v. Reinhardt (Ga.) @ 3:00 p.m. CT
- Fri. Aug. 26 - Mobile v. Dillard (La.) @ 7:00 p.m. CT
- Sat. Aug. 27 - Mobile v. Coastal Georgia @ 11:00 a.m. CT
- Sat. Aug. 27 - Mobile v. Southeastern (Fla.) @ 1:00 p.m. CT
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.
