H. AUSTILL PHARR GYMNASIUM, MOBILE, Ala. - Following a sweep over Webber International University (Fla.) on Thursday night to open the 2023 UM Volleyball Invitational, the Mobile Rams returned to action with two matches on Friday, Aug. 25 and came away with two victories to extend their win streak to five matches on the young season.
Mobile opened the day with a midday meeting with Dillard University (La.) and took care of business by earning a straight set sweep, 25-18, 25-17, and 25-14. Later on Friday afternoon, the Rams battled Florida College in what proved to be a hard-fought match from start to finish. Eventually, Mobile's intensity ramped up late and the Rams came away with a 3-1 over the Falcons.
Following a 2-0 day, Mobile improves to 3-0 in the hosted tournament this weekend and 5-2 overall on the 2023 schedule, winning five-straight matches.
Match Recap: Mobile Sweeps Bleu Devils to Open Friday
Riding a high from a 3-0 sweep over Webber International the night prior, the Rams picked up right where the left off and controlled the match against Dillard from the first serve. The Bleu Devils could not find any consistency on the offensive side against Mobile, hitting just .070 in the match and never leading by more than two points. Meanwhile, the Rams led for the majority of all three sets played and ended the day with a .220 hitting line, tallying 35 total kills as a team on 97 attack attempts.
Corrina Porch-Maxey paced Mobile with nine kills in the victory over Dillard, committing only three attack errors on 27 attempts. Layton Adams also produced a strong offensive showing with six kills on a .625 hitting percentage, while notching 12 assists. Junior Tatum Beech led the Rams with 16 assists in the win and Lexi Gillette became the lone Ram to record double-digit dig totals with 14. Overall, Mobile's sweep over Dillard is already the third sweep this season.
Match Recap: Mobile and Florida College Throw Haymakers in Four-Set Battle
Later on Friday afternoon, Mobile's competition only increased in the form of the Florida College Falcons. Florida College, who were swept by No. 25 Columbia International (S.C.) earlier in the day, came out strong and surprised many in attendance with a 25-22 set one win over Mobile. Feeling confident, set two went back and forth until Mobile managed to edge out the Falcons' offense with a 25-23 set two win to even the match.
In the third set, the Rams and Falcons continued to stay close with one another on the scoreboard, but a late run for the Rams pushed Mobile out to a 25-18 set three win. Finally, Mobile came out with a very strong beginning half of set four, leading by nine points at one point in the set. However, Florida College used a 12-3 run to grab a 17-16 lead and threaten a deciding fifth set against the Rams. Well-used timeouts by Mobile Head Coach Jon Campbell proved important late as Mobile began rallies to grab the lead back. With Mobile up 24-20, Florida College made things interesting with a 3-0 run until senior Aleah Kennedy put the match away for Mobile with a strong kill from the middle. The Rams took set four 25-23 and won the match, 3-1.
Mobile's offense hit just north of .200 in the match, with Corrina Porch-Maxey recording a strong performance. The sophomore from Indianapolis, Ind. led all players with 14 total kills, hitting .250, and tallying two service aces and two blocks. Meanwhile, Kendel Lee Frazer ended the match with 11 kills, most of which came in the third set. Aleah Kennedy's match-winner was her eighth kill of the game, while leading the Rams with six blocks.
Libero Lexi Gillette collected a team-high 14 digs and Layton Adams ended the afternoon with 30 assists, six kills, and 10 digs. Gillette's dig totals on the year are now at 132 through six matches and Layton Adams leads Mobile with 148 total assists.
One More Match to Play in Weekend Tournament
Mobile's final match of the UM Volleyball Invitational is set for Saturday afternoon, Aug. 26, with it being against arguably the toughest team yet. The Rams will look for an upset and knock of No. 25 Columbia International at 3:00 p.m. CT in Pharr Gymnasium.
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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.
