H. AUSTILL PHARR GYMNASIUM | MOBILE, Ala. - The University of Mobile Volleyball team won its seventh-straight victory on Friday afternoon, Aug. 23, winning two matches on the day and improving to 4-0 in Pharr Gymnasium on the weekend. Mobile managed two four-set wins to begin the 2024 Ram Invitational in the Pharr on Thursday night, while picking up a pair of sweeps on Friday. With a 7-1 overall record, the Rams are set to conclude this weekend's tournament with one final match on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 24.
Friday Recap: Rams Sharp Across Two Matches
Mobile began action at 10:00 a.m. CT on Friday, facing Florida Memorial University in their season debut. The Rams rolled passed the Lions in the morning matchup, eventually winning 25-12, 25-13, 25-15 in straight sets.
Offense was solid for Mobile with a .287 hitting line, recording 44 kills on 108 attack attempts. On the opposite end, Florida Memorial only managed 17 total kills across the three sets. Both Emma Hampton and Dazsha Dean Middleton led the team with nine kills each, with both players hitting above .600. Corrina Porch-Maxey followed with seven kills and a .462 hitting percentage.
Tatum Beech continued her strong weekend in the assists category, leading the Rams with 19 assists across the three sets. Beech added 11 defensive digs, following Jaci Drinnon with a team-high 17 digs and Aspen Adams with 13. As a team, Mobile recorded 57 digs in the victory.
Following the win to begin Friday, Mobile returned to action later that afternoon and battled Southern University of New Orleans (La.). Similar to the match against Florida Memorial, Mobile dominated the Knights, earning 25-11, 25-15, 25-16 straight-set wins.
Offense was even better in the second match for Mobile, slashing .353 as a unit with 40 kills in the match. The offense only committed 10 attack errors in 85 attempts. For SUNO, the Knights recorded 12 errors and only 22 kills on 80 attempts.
Dazsha Dean Middleton recorded a team-high seven kills in the victory, followed by Aspen Adams and Gabby Sheffield with six each. Adams found success on the defensive side as well, recording nine digs in the three sets played. Jaci Drinnon notched a team-best 10 digs. Tatum Beech once again led Mobile in assists, tallying 18 in the afternoon matchup, while Emma McPherson recorded a career-high 12 assists in the win.
Tournament Finale on Saturday
The Rams are back in action on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. CT against Dillard University (La.), looking to finish the weekend 5-0. With a win, Mobile will have won eight consecutive matches ahead of another south Florida tournament next weekend. Saturday's match will be broadcasted live on the University of Mobile Sports Network.
FOLLOW THE RAMS
For complete coverage of 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.
