Women's Volleyball 9/8/2026 9:45:00 PM Braden Mottor

Lady Eagles Go 1-1 in Montgomery Tri-Match

With the 2026 South Region Tipoff scheduled for this weekend, the Lady Eagles first had to travel to Montgomery, AL to play in a tri-match against Andrew College and Faulkner University. With an undefeated 5-0 start to the season, the Lady Eagles continued the winning streak through their Andrew College match and nearly defeated Faulkner University but fell short in a 5-set battle.

Andrew College Match Recap:
To open the match against the Tigers, the Lady Eagles came out firing on all cylinders, earning a dominant 25-13 victory in the first set.

The Lady Eagles carried that momentum into the second set, scoring 11 of the opening 14 points to build an early 11-3 advantage. The Tigers gradually chipped away at the lead, narrowing the margin to 15-12. Andrew College then used a 9-4 run to take its first lead of the set, 21-19. A block by freshman Evelyn Whitson halted the Tigers' momentum and sparked a 6-0 Lady Eagles run. Lyssie Metzker capped the rally with a kill, securing a 25-21 second-set victory.

Andrew College carried its momentum into the third set while the Lady Eagles emerged slowly from the break. The Tigers raced to a 15-5 advantage, their largest lead of the match. However, back-to-back Andrew College errors opened the door for a Lady Eagles comeback.

Additional Tiger errors, two kills from Madisyn Kandel, and a kill by Sydney Anderson helped the Lady Eagles trim the 10-point deficit to four and force an Andrew College timeout. The Lady Eagles then scored four of the next five points, prompting another Tiger timeout with the margin down to one.

An ace by senior libero Hope Brooks eventually gave the Lady Eagles their first lead of the set, 20-19. The teams traded points late, but consecutive kills from Whitson and Anderson completed the comeback. The Lady Eagles overcame the 10-point deficit to win the set 25-22, completing the sweep and securing their sixth consecutive victory.

Faulkner University Match Recap:
The opening 12 points set the tone for a tightly contested match, as the teams alternated points to reach a 6-6 tie. Faulkner then used a 5-0 run to take control and maintained its advantage to win the opening set, 25-19.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with the teams battling to an 11-11 tie through the first 22 points. This time, the Lady Eagles produced a 5-0 run to create separation before holding on for a narrow 26-24 victory.

Neither team gained much of an advantage early in the third set, as Faulkner held a slim 17-16 lead. The teams traded points throughout a 14-point stretch before a kill by Karissa Crumly pulled the Lady Eagles within one. Faulkner responded by scoring the next four points to build a 22-17 advantage. Despite a late kill from Anderson, the Lady Eagles dropped the set, 25-19.

The Lady Eagles opened the fourth set with a 6-3 lead and continued building momentum following a Faulkner point, extending their advantage to 12-6. Faulkner attempted to rally, but the Lady Eagles held on for a 25-23 victory to force a decisive fifth set.

A Faulkner service error gave the Lady Eagles the first point of the fifth set, but Faulkner answered with four consecutive points to take an early 4-1 lead. An Olivia Boyd kill briefly slowed the run, but Faulkner continued to pull away as the Lady Eagles struggled to regain their footing. Faulkner won the final set, 15-6, handing the Lady Eagles their first loss of the season.

Anderson led the Lady Eagles with 19 kills and 2.5 total blocks, while Metzker, Kandel and Whitson each recorded 10 kills, and defensively, Hope Brooks totaled 34 digs. Despite the strong individual performances and a determined team effort, the Lady Eagles suffered their first loss of the 2026 season.

Players Mentioned

#2 Hope Brooks: L; 5' 3"; Senior

#3 Karissa Crumly: MH; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#7 Olivia Boyd: S/RS; 5' 7"; Junior

#14 Lyssie Metzker: OH; 5' 3"; Senior

#15 Sydney Anderson: MH; 6' 0"; Senior

#17 Madisyn Kandel: OH; 5' 8"; Junior

#5 Evelyn Whitson: MH; 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#2 Hope Brooks
: 5' 3"; Senior
: L

#3 Karissa Crumly
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: MH

#7 Olivia Boyd
: 5' 7"; Junior
: S/RS

#14 Lyssie Metzker
: 5' 3"; Senior
: OH

#15 Sydney Anderson
: 6' 0"; Senior
: MH

#17 Madisyn Kandel
: 5' 8"; Junior
: OH

#5 Evelyn Whitson
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MH