Montgomery, Ala. |  Alabama State fell in a dramatic four sets (23-25, 28-30, 25-21, 20-25) Thursday night to rival Alabama A&M in front of a raucous and tense crowd at Lockhart Gymnasium.

The Lady Hornets (9-15, 6-2 SWAC) had prime opportunities in the first and second sets to take control of the match. Trailing 19-16 in the opener, the Bulldogs (12-12, 8-0) used an 8-0 run to swing the momentum and capture the frame.

The trend continued into the second stanza as the Lady Hornets were unable to stave off Alabama A&M despite running out to a 12-3 advantage. Alabama State had a golden chance to even things up leading the set 27-26, but a Terra Brooks kill knotted the set and the Bulldogs eventually put away the frame.

Alabama State showed resiliency in the third set, fighting back from an early 8-12 deficit to eventually take the set on a Candace Martin kill. The Lady Hornets continued to battle in set four, trimming the Bulldogs lead to one (19-20) before Alabama A&M ran away with the match on a 6-1 run.

The Lady Hornets were doomed by 19 unforced errors (7 serving, 12 receiving) and dropped the match despite receiving strong outings from a number of players, including Martin, who finished with eight kills and seven blocks. Alabama State out-blocked Alabama A&M 11-4. Bennett recorded her fourth time in five games with double-digit kills, putting away 15 of 36 attacks (.278), in addition to nine digs. Fellow outside hitter Krysta Medearis notche 11 kills and Taira Cottingham added 12 kills for her second consecutive match with at least 10 kills. Kori Kutsch was a dig shy of a double-double, posting 30 assists and nine digs in addition to three service aces. Kayla Warren recorded a career-high 10 assists and also chipped in with three service aces. Senior Kayla Torres, the current SWAC leader in total digs, finished with 22.

Alabama State welcomes Jackson State Monday, October 8th at 7 p.m.

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