Alabama Volleyball Faces Tough15th Season: In a tough match, the volleyball team faced its 15th season loss, putting them at an unfortunate 0-15 SEC conference record.
The game kicked off with a burst of energy, led by freshman hitter Kaleigh Palmer and blockers Alyiah Wells and Chaise Campbell.
Despite a strong start, the team faced a fierce comeback from the Gators, tying the set at 17 points in a nail-biting exchange.
With a .134 hitting average, Campbell stood out, boasting a .438, a significant improvement from the previous game against the Razorbacks. Wells and Palmer had scoring percentages of .250 and .111, respectively.
Campbell dominated with the highest hitting percentage and led in assisted blocks with four, showcasing her prowess on the court. Setter Callie Kieffer, along with Towns, Wells, and Palmer, contributed with two assisted blocks each.
Palmer’s offensive skills shone, securing six kills and achieving a season-best three blocks, including the sole solo block of the game.
Coach Rashida Reed praised Palmer’s performance, highlighting her as a standout freshman playing at the same physical level as the seniors.
The subsequent sets didn’t go as well, with the Gators taking a 6-1 lead in the second set and Alabama facing its second loss of the night at 20-25.
The third set mirrored the second, with Florida initially leading 0-5. Alabama, however, fought back, leveling the game at 16 points in an intense back-and-forth.
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A controversial call awarded a crucial point to Florida, alleging Campbell touched the net. A successful challenge revealed it was actually Florida’s setter Kennedy Muff who made the error, giving Alabama another chance. Unfortunately, the team couldn’t capitalize, and Florida secured the win at 22-25.
Despite the added loss, Palmer sees the game as a testament to the Crimson Tide’s progress, implementing practice strategies into their play. The team looks ahead to a road trip to Georgia to face off against the Bulldogs at 1 p.m. CST on Sunday.