H. AUSTILL PHARR GYMNASIUM | MOBILE, Ala. - The University of Mobile Volleyball team returned to Pharr Gymnasium on Friday night, Sept. 27, hosting conference foe Blue Mountain Christian University (Miss.) for the second and final meeting during the regular season. Mobile put together an impressive 3-0 sweep over Blue Mountain on the Toppers' home floor just two weekends ago, but fell in four sets on Friday despite an impressive set one performance. The loss is the Rams' first of the season in conference play, while the overall record drops to 17-4 on the year.
Tatum 2K
Friday's loss did see a milestone performance, however, with senior setter Tatum Beech surpassing 2,000 assists during her four-year collegiate career. Beech entered Friday needing just 17 assists to reach the 2,000-assist plateau, and eventually finished the night with a match-high 23 assists across the four sets played. Beech's 2,000th-career assist came late in the third set following a kill from fellow setter Layton Adams.
Beech became the fifth member all-time of the University of Mobile Volleyball program to join the 2,000 assist club, with Annie Kate Hudson being the last Ram to reach the historic mark during the 2017 season.
Mobile opened Friday's match with Blue Mountain in convincing fashion, winning the first set of the night, 25-11. In the dominating set victory, the Rams racked up 11 kills off 21 attack attempts, committing just one error in the set alone. Meanwhile, the Mobile defense held Blue Mountain to only two kills in the set, with the Toppers finishing the set with a -.208 hitting percentage. Mobile recorded a stellar .476 hitting line in the set win.
In set two, Blue Mountain made adjustments on the attack and began the second set with a 3-0 run. From that 3-0 run, momentum seemed to shift in Pharr Gymnasium and the Toppers eventually took the second set, 25-22. Blue Mountain then followed that with a 25-19 set three win to take a 2-1 lead over the Rams. In both the second and third sets, the Mobile offense struggled with sub .120 hitting percentages.
In the fourth set of the night, high energy continued on the Blue Mountain bench and the Toppers eventually earned a 25-23 set win to clinch the match, 3-1. Mobile made things interesting late, but the comeback fell short and Mobile dropped the first conference match of the year. Friday's loss is also Mobile's first at home on the season.
Despite just two kills in set one, Blue Mountain recorded 45 kills throughout the remainder of the match, while raising the team hitting percentage to .203. Meanwhile, Mobile's hitting line continued to fall the wrong direction, with the Rams ending the night hitting below .200 at .195.
Dazsha Dean Middleton led the way on the offensive side of things for Mobile, collecting 14 kills off 24 attempts. Layton Adams followed with 11 kills, while adding 22 assists and 15 defensive digs. Tatum Beech led all players with 23 assists and Jaci Drinnon picked up 20 digs to lead the team.
Bounce Back on Saturday
The Rams will return to action on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 28 in Pharr Gymnasium, hosting UT-Southern (Tenn.) in the process. Saturday's match is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT.
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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.
