Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 TUSCALOOSA—Alabama State (0-9) dropped their first two games in the opening day of action at the Bama Bash, falling to East Tennessee State in the opener and dropping a 3-0 match to Lamar in the evening match up.
 
The Lady Hornets dropped a hard-fought 3-2 game to East Tennessee State (8-2) in their first game of the tournament.  It was the first five-set game of the season for ASU.
 
ETSU won the first set 25-15 on the strength of a 9-0 run to push an 11-10 lead out to 20-10.  From there the Lady Hornets battled back and forth before ETSU was able to win the set with that final 10-point margin 25-15.
 
ASU came back to win set two 26-24 as ASU was able to gain a side out with the score even at 24 and gained the final point with Brooke Beasley on serve.  There were 14 ties and eight lead changes as the two teams went back and forth.
 
The third set saw the Bucs jump out on top of ASU 16-6 only to see the Lady Hornets cut the lead to 23-19 before ETSU could gain control of the serve and win the final point for the 25-19 final.

The fourth set was another back and forth affair that saw 10 ties and seven lead changes.  With ETSU leading 18-14, the Lady Hornets ran off five consecutive points to take a 19-18.  Again the two teams battled back and forth with each team gaining a serve until the score was even at 22.  At that point ASU was able to force two net balls off the service, again of Beasley, and walk away with the 25-22 victory, setting the stage for the fifth set.
 
Early on, it was a set of runs as ETSU jumped out to a 4-1 lead and ASU came roaring back with five consecutive points to take a 6-4 lead.  ETSU went on a 3-0 run to regain the lead and led 8-7 on the switch over.
 
From there ETSU went on to push the lead out to 12-8 and ASU could never recover from that final run as the final score was 15-11.
 
Meredith Hardy led ETSU with 16 kills and Bethany Gesell and Megan Devine had 13 each.  Jamie Rutledge had 29 assists and Devine had a game-high 18 digs.
 
Chelsey Scott led ASU with 13 kills and Brooke Beasley had her second double-double of the season with a game-high 34 assists and 12 digs.
 
The second game was a 25-18, 25-16 and 25-21 loss to Southland Conference member Lamar University (7-5).  The first set saw the two teams even to 10 and at that point Lamar went on a 6-0 run to lead 16-10 and ASU never got over the run in the 25-18 loss.
 
Set two saw Lamar take advantage of several ASU errors in route to building a 22-10 lead.  At that time the Lady Hornets showed their fight and put on a 6-0 run of their own to cut the lead to 22-16, but could get no closer in a 25-16 loss.
 
The third set was much like the second as the two teams went back and forth and were still even at 16 when Lamar went on a 5-1 run the young Lady Hornets could not overcome.  ASU did manage to cut the lead to 21-20 but an errant serve gave Lamar s 22-20 lead and they went on for the 25-21 win.
 
Neither team had big stats in the game.  Sierra Whittaker and Wendy Krell led Lamar with four kills each and Alex Morford had 13 kills.
 
For ASU, Chelsey Scott had 3 kills with Brooke Beasley leading six assists and Anniiya Robinson having three digs.
 
“I am really pleased with the way they competed today,” head coach Penny Lucas-White said.  “I just have to be patient because it is coming, we are there.”
 
“We give up runs but we always came back and they never laid down and died and that is what I really love about this team.  I know we are right there, so close we can taste it.  As long as they stay focused we will be where we need to be when the SWAC season starts.  We just have to take it day by day.”
 
The Lady Hornets will face host Alabama tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. and will close out their tournament games against Austin Peay State University at 4:30 p.m.