ULM ends season with loss to South Alabama at Sun Belt Volleyball Championship

FOLEY, Ala. – The ULM volleyball season came to an end with a 3-0 loss to South Alabama, 25-16, 25-18, 25-19, Thursday afternoon at the Foley Sports Complex.

The Warhawks close the season at 1-22 after making their first-ever appearance in the Sun Belt Championships.

“The chance to play in the postseason was outstanding,” ULM head coach Charlie Olson said. “Those who set up the environment here in Foley were phenomenal and gave 11 teams the experience of playing in November.”

In the opening set, South Alabama claimed the early 5-2 lead. ULM closed within two points a handful of times, including at 9-7 off a ball handling error. South Alabama pulled away with a 7-1 run to claim a 16-8 lead. The Warhawks came no closer than seven points the rest of the way as the Jaguars took the set, 25-16.

The Jaguars quickly gained control in the second set, sprinting out to a 7-2 lead. ULM closed the gap to four at 9-5 on a kill by junior Cali Assaley, but USA scored the next four points to snag a 13-5 advantage. ULM slowly battled back, scoring six of the next eight points to get within four at 15-11 on a service ace by freshman Emma McWhorter. The Warhawks kept the Jaguars within striking distance, and made another move, scoring three straight points of USA errors to get within two at 19-17. However, USA scored four straight points to resume a six-point lead and went on to win the set, 25-18.

ULM went on top early in the third set, scoring five of the first seven points for a 5-2 lead on freshman Karson Davis’ service ace. The Warhawks maintained the lead to 7-4 when USA scored seven of the next eight points to surge in front 11-8. ULM tallied the next two points, using kills by seniors Alix Christie and Lauren Appelman to cut the deficit to one at 11-10. The two sides battled back-and-forth until USA scored three straight points to increase its lead to 18-13. The Warhawks would get no closer than four points the rest of the way as the Jaguars completed the 3-0 sweep with a 25-19 win.

“Kudos to our two seniors who played today: Alix (Christie) and Lauren (Appelman),” Olson said. “They played great and left it all out on the court.”

Assaley led ULM with seven kills. Junior McKinley Thiede tallied 12 assists. Sophomore Madeline Hogan added seven digs. Sophomore Hailey Hughes chipped in three blocks.

“This year we had too many road bumps to overcome, but we got better each day and I’m proud of how far we’ve come,” Olson said. “As this chapter closes, we look back at all the craziness 2020 has brought us, yet we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to compete. We are one of a handful of D1 volleyball programs to play in over 20 matches this season, all of which were very high quality and challenging play. I’m thankful for our administration and conference for creating a safe environment for us to play and coach this sport we love. I’m thankful for our seniors who put in their blood, sweat and tears over the years. Today marks the end of 2020 for ULM volleyball. However, tomorrow we start anew. See you in 2021.”

For the latest on Warhawk volleyball, visit ULMWarhawks.com.