Tuscaloosa, Ala- On Wednesday night, Alabama volleyball failed to secure a win against Texas A&M in its SEC opener in four sets by scores of 25-20, 14-25, 22-25 and 16-25.
The first set was a hard-fought clash between Alabama and Texas A&M before the Crimson Tide ended up winning the set by five points. The Aggies put pressure on the Tide, storming back in the second set with an 11-point win to even the match 1-1. In set three, the Aggies reached set point, 24-19, before the Tide scored three straight to make the score 24-22. Shortly after, the Tide forced a timeout but Texas A&M held on strong to win, 25-22. Alabama bounced back in the fourth with an early 9-6 lead before the Aggies 5-0 run. Texas A&M would eventually keep their momentum throughout the set to score a 25-16 victory and a 3-1 match win.
Leaders of the match, Shaye Eggleston and Kendyl Reaugh both finished the match with 10 kills, marking a season high for Eggleston. Brooke Slusser led the Tide with 20 assists, while Dru Kuck led with 20 digs. Chaise Campbell finished with five blocks, just one short of her season high. After a strong weekend at the service line, Alabama struggled with just four aces opposed to eight service errors.
With Wednesday’s loss, Alabama falls to (8-5) overall, (0-1) in SEC play. This loss is just the second of the season for the Tide when winning in the first set.
Alabama will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to continue their conference play this weekend against LSU at 5 p.m. CST. The Tide’s last meeting against the Tigers was Nov. 16, 2020, losing 0-3. The last time Alabama faced LSU in Baton Rouge was Oct. 18, 2019, losing 1-3. The Tide are hoping to overcome their current losing streak against the Tigers with a win this Saturday.
