TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama volleyball closed out its 2023 season Saturday afternoon with a win on senior day, earning its first conference victory with a four-set win over Texas A&M by set scores of 25-13, 23-25, 25-23 and 25-19.
The win is Alabama’s (11-18, 1-17 SEC) first SEC victory of the season and its first to close out a season since 2018. The Crimson Tide was dominant in a 25-13 opening set before Texas A&M (16-12, 8-10 SEC) rebounded with a close 25-23 decision in the second to even the match. The Crimson Tide won a hard-fought third set by the same score before closing out the win with six-point win in the fourth.
Seniors Sami Jacobs, Kendyl Reaugh and Alyiah Wells all led the offense with 18, 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Jacobs’ 18 kills is a season high as was her 15 digs, marking her second career double-double in her final match. Reaugh closes out her Tide career with 997 kills with Wells at 987. Fellow senior Chaise Campbell tied her career best with eight blocks as did senior Victoria Schmer with a team-leading 18 digs.
“I’m incredibly proud of these ladies. We experienced a lot of adversity this season. A win like this shows the culture of the program we’re building, a team that’s relentless and keeps fighting. We could have easily rolled over and we didn’t. There’s something to be said about a team that had a tough season like we did and came out strong at the end. We’ve been working on this all season and it really came to fruition today. [The seniors] were great examples for the team. They knew it was their last match, but they stayed in it. It’s a great lesson to stay in it and fight no matter how hard it is. It wasn’t just about words, they put it all out there today. The rest of the team was so incredibly happy for the seniors too.”
Notes
- The win is Alabama’s first to close a season since a five-set win over Arkansas on Nov. 23, 2018
- Sami Jacobs posted a season-best 18 kills and 15 digs, marking her second career double-double and first since Oct. 2, 2021 vs. Auburn
- Kendyl Reaugh closes out her Tide career with 997 kills with Wells close behind at 987
- Seniors Chaise Campbell and Victoria Schmer tied their career highs with eight blocks and 18 digs, respectively
Stat Leaders
Set-by-Set
- Set 1: Alabama 25, Texas A&M 13
- Set 2: Texas A&M 25, Alabama 23
- Set 3: Alabama 25, Texas A&M 23
- Set 4: Alabama 25, Texas A&M…
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