North Alabama Volleyball Defeats Tarleton State 3-1

North Alabama Volleyball Defeats Tarleton State 3-1

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North Alabama Defeats Tarleton State 3-1 to Claim Revenge in Florence

North Alabama defeated Tarleton State 3-1 (25-23, 25-17, 23-25, 25-18) on Thursday night at CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall, successfully avenging an earlier sweep from September 26, as reported by tarletonsports.com. The victory lifts the Lions to 18-6 overall and 8-3 in United Athletic Conference play, while dropping the Texans to 9-15 overall and 5-6 in the conference.

The match showcased sharp offensive swings from both sides. After North Alabama dominated the second set with a blistering .394 hitting percentage, Tarleton State fought back to claim the third set 25-23. The Lions responded swiftly in the fourth, closing out the match with a .387 attack percentage to secure the victory.

Key Performances and Milestone Chases

Fifth-year outside hitter LaNeah Lara led the charge for North Alabama with a team-high 16 kills, bringing her agonizingly close to a major career milestone. She now needs just two more kills to reach 1,000 for her career.

Supporting the offense, setters Peyton Fadal and Kingsley Minus distributed 21 and 12 assists respectively. On the defensive end, libero Leddy Rae Guinn notched her fourth straight match with 20 or more digs, finishing the night with 23. Senior middle blocker Madison Frank added six assisted blocks, a performance that pushed her past Meg Umbel (2012-15) for seventh place on the program’s career assisted block list.

How the Match Unfolded

Tarleton State wasted no time answering an early 3-0 North Alabama scoring run in the opening set, rattling off five consecutive points to grab the lead. Fadal fed Lara for a crucial kill to maintain the advantage, and Minus assisted freshman middle blocker Onita Davis to push the Texans ahead 12-10.

North Alabama clawed back before the media timeout, taking the lead off a service ace. Lara tied things up before Minus delivered another ace to ignite a 21-16 Tarleton State lead. The Lions answered right back, putting together a 6-1 run and capturing nine of the final 11 points to steal the first set 25-23.

Carrying that momentum into the second frame, North Alabama opened with another 6-1 run for a 10-7 lead. Though the Texans cut the deficit to a single point, the Lions never relinquished control, cruising to a 25-17 win and a 2-0 match lead.

The third set remained deadlocked at 12 before Tarleton State manufactured a 3-0 run to create separation. North Alabama countered with five unanswered points, but the Texans refused to fold. Frank contributed a kill and a service ace to tie the score, and a subsequent 3-0 spurt earned the Texans a set point. Though the Lions extended the frame with a kill, Tarleton State forced an attack error on the next point to claim the 25-23 win.

Any hopes of a full Tarleton comeback were quickly dashed in the fourth. North Alabama utilized two separate 4-0 runs to jump out to an early six-point lead. Despite a brief 4-0 counter-run from the Texans, the Lions sealed the match by ripping off five unanswered points, finishing the final set with 15 kills against just three errors.

What Lies Ahead

Tarleton State hits the road again this weekend for their second meeting against West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia, scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, North Alabama prepares for its next conference test on the road against West Georgia on October 31, 2026.

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