H. AUSTILL PHARR GYMNASIUM | MOBILE, Ala. - The University of Mobile Volleyball team celebrated Senior Day in grand style on Saturday, Nov. 2, claiming a five-set win over conference foe Loyola University (La.) in the final home match of the 2024 season. The five-set win for the Rams on Saturday comes just one day after Mobile secured a five-set victory over conference rival William Carey (Miss.) to claim the 2024 SSAC Volleyball Regular Season Championship and top seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
Prior to the match, eight seniors were honored pregame for Senior Day, marking the final action in Pharr Gymnasium during their collegiate careers. Seniors honored were Aspen Adams, Layton Adams, Tatum Beech, Dazsha Dean Middleton, Kendel Lee Frazer, Lexi Gillette, Emma Todd, and Jenna Schuliger.
Mobile was battle-tested through Saturday's match against the Wolf Pack, with the Rams eventually earning the 3-2 victory to improve to 25-4 overall on the season. Additionally, Mobile improves to a dominant 12-1 record in the SSAC.
Set One: Rams Begin Match with Victory
Mobile came out strong, securing an early lead with effective kills by Layton Adams and Dazsha Dean Middleton. Loyola fought back, but Mobile maintained control through the solid offensive attack, recording 12 kills in the set. The set closed with a kill from Aspen Adams, giving Mobile a 25-20 victory.
Set Two: Loyola Responds
Loyola responded with a stronger offense in the second set, with Amaya Bazemore and Alexa Palmer being the pair to lead the Wolf Pack. Despite Mobile's efforts to catch up, Loyola capitalized on attack errors from the Rams and finished the set win a 25-21 victory, evening the match at 1-1. Mobile hit .143 in set two with 11 kills, while Loyola tallied 14 kills off a .256 hitting line.
Set Three: Wolf Pack Builds Off Momentum
Loyola's confidence continued in the third set, as the Wolf Pack pressured Mobile with consistent kills and service aces. Mobile struggled with errors, allowing Loyola to pull away and win the set 25-18 to go up two sets to win. For the second-straight set, Loyola managed 14 team kills, while Mobile hit -.026 with eight attack errors and only seven kills.
Set Four: Mobile Answers with Back Against the Wall
Mobile bounced back in the fourth set, taking advantage of Loyola's mistakes and securing early points through effective kills and serves by Aspen Adams. Adams, along with Jaci Drinnon, eventually led all players in Saturday's match with four service aces a piece. Loyola attempted to rally late, but Mobile's defense held firm, allowing the Rams to win the set 25-15, pushing the match to a decisive fifth set for the second consecutive day.
Set Five: Rams Roll to Match Win
The final set was intense early on, with both teams trading points, but Mobile gained the upper hand and eventually clinched the match win with 15-10 set five victory. Eight of Mobile's 15 points in the fifth set resulted in kills, with the Rams only committing two attack errors in the match-decider. Meanwhile, Loyola committed five attack errors and only seven kills.
Inside the Box Score
Overall, Mobile only tallied a .137 hitting mark as a team in Saturday's thrilling win, while Loyola hit just three points higher. Both teams recorded 50 kills each, with the Wolf Pack committing one less error than the Rams.
Corrina Porch-Maxey led Mobile's offense with 13 kills in the five-set victory, while Dazsha Dean Middleton (11) and Aspen Adams followed (10). Middleton continued her consistent offense on the year with a team-best .429 hitting percentage against Loyola, raising her overall attack percentage on the season to .379, second-best in the SSAC.
Tatum Beech and Layton Adams assisted the offense with a combined 43 assists, while the defense picked up 14 total blocks against the Loyola attack. Lexi Gillette led the defense with 18 digs, followed by Jaci Drinnon with 16. Beech and L. Adams both tallied 13 digs each.
Regular Season Finale on Monday
With the top seed and regular season title in the SSAC already clinched for Mobile, the Rams will play one final match during the regular season, coming on Monday evening, Nov. 4. The Rams will end the regular season with a non-conference match on the road against Southern Unviersity of New Orleans (La.) at 6:00 p.m. CT in New Orleans.
FOLLOW THE RAMS
For complete coverage of the University of Mobile Athletics, follow the Rams on social media at /MobileRams (Facebook), @UMobileRams ("X" FKA Twitter), and @umobilerams (Instagram), or visit the official home of the University of Mobile Athletic Department at https://umobilerams.com/.
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.
