Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Andalusia split the first two sets but dropped the next two and came up short 3-1 to Slocomb in a varsity volleyball match on Thursday, Sept. 28.

The Lady Red Tops moved to 12-1 overall and 4-1 in 4A Area 3 with a 25-14, 21-25, 25-18, 26-24 win. The Lady Bulldogs went to 7-16 overall and 1-4 against area competition.

“Homecoming distractions did not help us this week, but I am proud of the effort my girls gave tonight. They fought hard against a tough area opponent. We will not give up and keep going on the season as we move forward,” AHS Head Coach Angie Grimes said.

SET ONE
Lainee Thomas had two aces as Slocomb took a 4-0 lead in the first set. Cape Merrell cut the deficit to 5-3 with an ace before a 9-1 run from the opposition turned into a 14-4 lead. Annaleigh Fischer ended the surge with a block, and Mallory McGlamory earned two aces as Andalusia trimmed the gap to 16-8. Arianna Knox pushed the margin to 20-8 with a pair of aces before Faith Brookshire took it to set point. The Lady Bulldogs stayed alive with a kill by Kamari Gay, but the Lady Red Tops held on for a 1-0 lead in the match.

SET TWO
Brookshire evened the second set at 2-2 with a kill until Merrell dazzled with another block for a 4-2 margin. Knox hit an ace for a 7-4 lead with an ace, but Taya Newton tied the set at 8-8 on a vicious kill. Back-to-back kills from Brookshire and Avery Havas gave the Lady Red Tops a 10-9 lead, but it did not last long. The Lady Bulldogs retook the lead after an ace from McGlamory and kills by Molly Capps and Merrell made the score 15-12. Slocomb responded back and whittled the deficit to 19-18. Merrell came up with a clutch block for a 21-18 lead. Newton extended the margin to 23-19 on another punishing kill, and Andalusia tied the match at 1-1.

SET THREE
Merrell used a block and a kill early in the third set for a 3-2 lead. Momentum swung back the other way when Slocomb took a 10-4 advantage. McGlamory brought Andalusia within five at 12-7 until Havas had a kill for an 18-8 cushion. Knox widened the score to 21-11 with a kill, but two aces from Brianna Toney and a kill by Newton saw the Lady Bulldogs slice the gap to 23-17. The Lady Red Tops regained momentum with two of the final three points for a 2-1 lead.

SET FOUR
Neither side led by more than two early in the fourth set. Aylana Santora notched a kill for a 7-5 lead, but Newton followed suit with two straight kills and evened the frame at 7-7. After Knox upped the margin to 11-8, Merrell scored another block and cut the deficit to 11-10. Slocomb received kills from Knox and Brookshire for a 15-12 lead until Merrell broke even at 15-15 with an ace. Newton gave Andalusia a 20-16 cushion with two more kills before the Lady Bulldogs increased their margin to 23-19. The Lady Red Tops rallied for a 23-23 tie as Newton scored another kill. Knox started a three-point swing from the visitors who took the match.

Andalusia will be back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 3, with a home match against Opp.