Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Spring Hill College (SHC) volleyball team began play in the 2016 Hilton Garden Inn South UAH Classic hosted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) with a 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-16) victory over the Kentucky Wesleyan College (KWC) Panthers followed by a 3-1 (25-22, 25-17, 22-25, 27-25) loss to the Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) Tigers on Friday afternoon in Spragins Hall.

The Panthers (0-1) grabbed a 21-14 lead in the first set in route to a 25-20 victory as the Badgers struggled to a .065 (9-7-31) team attack percentage with three service errors. In the second set, KWC sneaked out to an 11-9 lead, but the Badgers rallied to take a 19-12 advantage with a 9-0 run behind the serving of freshman outside hitter Cassidi Sterrett of Lee's Summit, Mo. The SHC lead would dwindle to 22-21 late in the set, but the Badgers would hold on to even the match at 1-1 with a 25-22 win.

In the third set, the Badgers and Panthers battled to an early 3-3 score, but the Badgers found their legs and built out a 10-5 bulge. SHC increased the difference to 21-12 while at the same time turning around their attack percentage to a healthy .220 (34-19-91). The fourth set saw the Badgers claw out to 13-6 and 22-11 advantages as the SHC offense begin to hit on all cylinders.

SHC finished the match with a .256 (50-18-125) attack percentage along with five aces, 48 digs and one (0-2) block. Senior Molly Griffin knocked down 14 kills, senior Madison Seuzeneau had 12 kills and sophomore Katelyn Bobinger tallied 10 kills while freshman setter Anna Tietjens handed out 43 assists and Sterrett roped in 14 digs. The Badger defense held KWC to a .195 (41-19-113) percentage with five aces, 48 digs and three (0-6) blocks.

The Tigers (1-0) took a two set lead in the afternoon contest before SHC rallied to take the third set and pushed OBU to a 27-25 decision in the final set. The Badgers hit .200 (53-23-150) with 52 digs, five (2-6) blocks and five aces while OBU hit .331 (64-18-139) with 66 digs, 10 (4-12) blocks and four aces. Sarah Senft tallied 13 kills for SHC and Tietjens distributed 33 assists as freshman Patty Blood of Cincinnati, Ohio, served up three aces and Randi De'Armitt scooped in 13 digs.

"Against Kentucky Wesleyan we had a very slow start in Set 1," SHC head coach Peggy Martin said after the matches. "We are a young team and we need to know to be ready at first serve, but the good news is that we came back well in the next three sets.

"In the Ouachita match, it was a very good defensive battle, but they were better offensively and that was the difference. We played lots of people and our depth is good, but we need more consistency in every phase of the game."

The Badgers (3-1) will finish this weekend's play at 11 a.m. on Saturday versus the tournament host UAH Chargers.