MOBILE, Ala. - In just the second weekend of conference play, the Rams were back at home as they took on both of the SSAC's New Orleans schools. On Friday the Rams faced Loyola in a battle of the SSAC preseason top 2 while Saturday's match featured the first time that Mobile and Xavier faced each other as SSAC opponents.
Game One Recap - Mobile (2) vs. Loyola (3)
The Rams saw a two-set lead slip away Friday, falling to Loyola in five sets in a hard-fought conference matchup at home. Mobile came out firing on all cylinders, dominating the opening two sets. After taking the first set 25-16, Mobile followed with a 25-21 victory in the second to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
Loyola answered in the third set and carried that momentum through the remainder of the match, taking the final three sets to complete the reverse sweep. Despite the result, the Rams finished with the advantage in nearly every single statistic. Mobile recorded 59 kills to Loyola's 55, 8 aces to Loyola's 6, assists (54-49) and digs (84-66). Loyola won only in blocks, having 13 to Mobile's 10.
Individually, Kaylin Johnson led the way with 26 kills, followed by Eva Blatchford with 13 and Aubrey Sheffield with eight. Gabby Sheffield had four aces, and Peyton Frazer recorded a team-high of five blocks. Defensively, Hope Blaylock led the Rams with 17 digs. Her third straight match with 15+ digs. Close behind, Emma McPherson had 16 and Gabby Sheffield had 12. McPherson also finished with a team-high 30 assists, while Hannah Ellis added 17.
Game Two Recap - Mobile (3) vs. Xavier (LA.) (0)
Following the loss against Loyola, the Rams earned a quick and efficient Southern States Athletic Conference win, sweeping the Xavier Gold Nuggets with a final score of 25-15, 25-22 and 25-19.
The Rams fell to Xavier on the road earlier in the season but came prepared to answer the call and returned the favor, defeating them in three straight sets.
Kaylin Johnson led the way offensively with 12 kills, while Eva Blatchford and Aubrey Sheffield each recorded 10 kills. Eva also contributed two aces. The Rams were aggressive from the service line as Gabby Sheffield added two more and Hope Blaylock added one.
Defensively, Savannah Conklin came up big at the net with five blocks, Kaylin Johnson added three and Emma Hampton had one. Hope Blaylock led the way with digs, contributing 16. Emma McPherson added 14 and Gabby Sheffield had six.
Up Next For the Rams
The Rams will continue their stretch at home next weekend, facing the Skyhawks of Point University on Friday, September 25th at 6 PM CT and Life University on Saturday the 26th at 1 PM CT.
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About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered university pursuing excellence "For the Kingdom. To the World." With a vision to multiply Kingdom leaders for the glory of God and the good of the world, the university equips students through Christ-centered learning and community to pursue God's calling with courage, purpose and Kingdom impact.
The university was founded in 1961 and is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention. Located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a campus of over 880 acres, UM offers associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Learn more at umobile.edu/um-info and connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
