H. AUSTILL PHARR GYMNASIUM | MOBILE, Ala. - SSAC Volleyball officially returned on Thursday evening, Sept. 7, with conference rivals William Carey University (Miss.) and the University of Mobile meeting in Pharr Gymnasium for the first conference match of the season. Both teams struggled with errors across the first two sets of the match, which eventually saw the Crusaders of William Carey come away with victories. However, the Rams of Mobile stormed back and won the final three sets to score the comeback victory and hand William Carey their fourth loss in the last five contests. Meanwhile, the win on Thursday propels Mobile's overall record to 7-3 this season and 1-0 in conference play.
Match Recap: Rams Blow Roof Off of the Pharr with Comeback
Through the first two sets of the match, inconsistent offense was the name of the game between the two rivals. Both Mobile and William Carey combined to commit 30 attack errors through the opening two sets, while recording hitting percentages under .200. William Carey came away with 25-23 victories across both sets to go up 2-0 and put the pressure on Mobile early.Â
In the third set, William Carey continued their pressure on the Rams and led for the majority of the set. Trailing 21-18 and seeing the Crusaders needing just four points for the match victory, Mobile Head Coach Jon Campbell burned a timeout. Out of the timeout, the Rams rallied and put together a 7-2 run to win set three 25-23, forcing a fourth set and keeping the match alive. The high energy and confidence from the third-set comeback continued to the fourth set, which eventually carried Mobile to a convincing 25-15 win.Â
With the match even at two sets a piece, momentum shifted to Mobile and the Pharr Gymnasium faithful became loud. The fifth and final set saw the Rams begin with a 9-4 run, needing just six points for the comeback. William Carey's first-year head coach Ronda Shirley called both of her timeouts during the fifth set, attempting to stall the Mobile momentum. Spoiler: The timeouts did not pay off for the Crusaders. The Rams went on to win the fifth set 15-9 after William Carey committed a service error to end the match. The final error ignited the fans in Pharr Gymnasium as Mobile earned the impressive comeback in the conference opener.
Inside the Match
Despite offensive struggles early, Mobile managed to hit above .250 in the final two sets, finishing set four with a match-high 12 kills. Overall, the Rams tallied 54 kills on 188 attack attempts, ending the five-set thriller with 28 attack errors and a .138 hitting line. Meanwhile, William Carey finished with 48 kills and a .099 hitting percentage.Â
Due to the early struggles, Jon Campbell made personnel changes on the court ahead of set three, moving newcomer Rachel Dunaway to the service line and Dazsha Dean to the front line. Dean eventually became the story of the night as the junior Mobile, Ala. native finished with a career-high six kills and three blocks in the win. Dean entered Thursday's match with just one kill in three sets played on the season.
"It was great to be out on the court with my teammates," Dean said with tears in her eyes following the victory. "It feels great whether you are on the court or off the court, but to be able to be a part [of the match] and put the ball down, while block a few balls felt pretty nice." When asked about the energy from the Mobile fans, the third-year Ram had nothing but high praise. "The energy was unmatched; I have never experienced that before," Dean concluded.
Dazsha Dean was not the only Ram to record notable performances on Thursday as Corrina Porch-Maxey ended the night by matching a career-high 18 kills. Porch-Maxey led Mobile with her 18 kills, hitting .259 on 54 attempts. Kendel Lee Frazer was second on the team with 10 kills.Â
On the back line, Lexi Gillette collected 20 digs to pace the Rams, followed closely by Layton Adams with 17 and Aspen Adams with 15. Layton Adams added a team-high 26 assists in the win. The defensive front ended the evening with 14 blocks, led by Brinkley Hearn and Aleah Kennedy with four each, while Dazsha Dean and Layton Adams collected three a piece.
"We are proud of the way the girls continued to grow together and battle through adversity," Mobile Assistant Volleyball Coach Amber Campbell said following the victory. "The culture of this team fosters incredible positive results, on and off the court." On what the husband and wife coaching duo at Mobile expects following Thursday's win, it is simply growth. "We anticipate even more development this year," Campbell stated.Â
SSAC Volleyball Match of the Week
With the big win over William Carey in the rearview mirror, the Rams now look ahead to Saturday afternoon where Mobile hosts conference foe Loyola University (La.) in the SSAC Volleyball Game of the Week. Saturday's matchup in the Pharr is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT and is the first of two meetings this season between the Rams and the Wolf Pack.
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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.
