Alabama volleyball won a hard-fought fourth set to force a deciding fifth against LSU Sunday afternoon in Foster Auditorium, but the Tigers ultimately came away with the 16-14 win in the fifth to defeat the Crimson Tide, 3-2.
Alabama (18-9, 5-8 SEC) dropped the opening set to LSU (9-14, 4-8 SEC), 25-19, before evening the match with a 25-22 win in the second. The Tigers took the advantage with a 25-18 decision in the third but Tide held off a late rally in the fourth to win, 25-22, and force a deciding fifth set. The final frame saw 10 tie scores and six lead changes, with LSU ultimately coming out with the 16-14 win to take the match, 3-2.
Three Tide players were in double figures in kills, led by junior Ginger Perinar’s 17. She also tallied a career-high 12 digs for her first double-double of the season. Junior Hayley McSparin and sophomore Doris Carter finished with 13 kills each, with McSparin hitting .310 out of the middle with a pair of blocks. Senior Cidavia Hall tied a career high with three solo blocks, adding a block assists to lead the team with four blocks.
Senior Quincey Gary continued her climb up the Crimson Tide leaderboards, posting a team-leading 13 digs to improve her career total to 1,392. She is now 109 shy of former teammate Natalie Murison’s second-place mark of 1,501.
On Nov. 11, Alabama has a road match at No. 12 Kentucky (17-4, 11-0 SEC), set for 12:30 p.m.
