The Andalusia Lady Bulldogs won the right to host the Class 4A, Area 3 volleyball tournament Thursday with a 3-1 victory over the Straughn Lady Tigers in Straughn.

The Lady Bulldogs fell 19-25 in the first game, but bounced back to win the next three games, 25-15, 25-19, 25-15.

When asked how she thought her team won Thursday night, AHS coach Angie Grimes said two words.

“It’s homecoming,” she said.

Right out of the gate, the Lady Tigers took a commanding 7-2 lead over the Lady Bulldogs, and won the first game with the help of numerous kills by Kaitlynn Wiggins. Wiggins led with 13.

Andalusia bounced back in the second game to tie the match up 1-1, on a final kill by Shi’Amber Townsend.

From then on out, the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Tigers dueled in games three and four.

Andalusia’s A.C. Riley led in assists with 49 and contributed 15 service points; Ellie Pollock had 33 digs; Alison Daniels and Erica Staley had five aces each; Townsend had 16 kills and 21 attacks; and Daniels also ended up with 11 blocks for the night.

For Straughn, Tori Bracewell had five aces and 15 service points; Megan Johns had nine service points, three digs and seven kills; and Brooke Harris had 23 assists.

“Our girls played really hard,” SHS assistant coach Marc Tracy said. “They did everything we asked them to do. It just wasn’t our day.

“We played a great game,” he said. “There wasn’t much we did wrong.”

Straughn will hold its senior night Monday against Highland Home, and Andalusia will play in a Providence Christian tournament Saturday.

Andalusia’s and Straughn’s last area game will be against Ashford on Oct. 5.