STATESBORO, Ga. | Alabama State dropped a 3-0 match to Mercer on Saturday morning in the Hanner Fieldhouse to conclude their weekend and their season opening road stretch.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Coming off the win over USC-Upstate on Friday afternoon, Alabama State came out hot on Saturday morning, opening the first set with an early 3-0 lead.
• Mercer responded with a 7-1 run to take their first lead of the set, before the teams found themselves tied at 8-8 after an error by the Bears.
• The score remained close as neither team created much distance until Mercer gained a 17-14 lead later to force an Alabama State timeout.
• The Bears made another push after the break, going up 22-16 to force another timeout and ultimately took the first set 25-19.
• The second set was a close battle throughout, with Mercer gaining an early lead before Alabama State climbed within a point at 11-10.
• Moments later, the Bears stretched their lead to four points to force the first timeout of the set, while maintaining the lead out of the break to force another with a 22-16 lead.
• After the second stoppage, Alabama State clawed back into the game, going on a 5-2 run to close the gap to three, however fell in the set 25-21.
• The third set opened in similar fashion, with the teams finding themselves tied eight times in the set.
• The Hornets earned an early 4-2 lead, before Mercer battled back to tie. The ball game for the first time at 7-7.
• After trading scores over the next few points, Alabama State made a run to go up 18-15 and force a timeout from Mercer, who came out of the break to tie the ball game again, this time at 19-19.
• The Bears outscored the Hornets 6-3 for the remainder of the match, which included two Alabama State errors on their way to taking the 25-22 win and match.

MATCH NOTES

• Jada Rhodes (Tallahassee, Fla.) logged double figure kills in all three matches this weekend, including 11 against Mercer to go along with four digs.
• Mahogany Vinson (Richton Park, Ill.) recorded her first double-digit kill outing on the year, with 10 on Saturday morning. The junior also leads the Hornets in blocks on the year with 31.
• Alabama State will host two home contests next weekend, their first in Lockhart Gymnasium since November 15, 2019.

UP NEXT
Alabama State (1-12) returns to play next week, hosting rival Alabama A&M on Friday, September 24 in not only their home opener but also their first conference match of the season. First serve is scheduled for 6 pm in Lockhart Gymnasium.

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