Alabama State University opened its 2025 campaign with a hard-fought 3–1 exhibition loss over to UAB on Thursday night at Lockhart Gymnasium. After winning the opening set 25–15, the Blazers regrouped and took the next three by scores of 25–17, 25–18, and 25–23 to secure the match.

Set 1:
Alabama State came out firing, jumping to a 6–0 lead behind strong serving from Sierra Scanlan and early kills from Kaylen Hines. The Hornets never trailed and took the first set 25–15, hitting .214 as a team while forcing UAB into 10 attack errors.

Set 2:
UAB quickly found its rhythm, led by Kennedy Vaughn, who posted back-to-back kills during a 6–0 run that swung momentum. The Blazers hit an impressive .556 in the frame with 16 kills against just two errors, cruising to a 25–17 win to even the match.

Set 3:
The third set remained tight early, but UAB's balanced offense, highlighted by Summer Snead's five kills and Mia Reese's serving pressure, helped the Blazers pull away late. UAB hit .290 in the set and capitalized on Alabama State's miscues to take it 25–18.

Set 4:
The decisive fourth set was a back-and-forth battle, featuring nine ties and multiple lead changes. Vaughn continued to shine, tallying nine kills in the set, while Reese and Addyson Smock combined for key blocks down the stretch. After Alabama State rallied to tie it at 23–23, UAB closed it out on a block followed by a Hornet service error, clinching the set 25–23 and the match 3–1.

Stat Leaders:

• UAB: Kennedy Vaughn led all players with 18 kills, hitting .452 with 13 digs. Mia Reese added 12 kills, while Summer Snead and Addyson Smock chipped in 6 and 8 kills, respectively. The Blazers out-hit Alabama State .276 to .231 and matched the Hornets with 5.0 team blocks.

• Alabama State: Jyriah Morgan paced the Hornets with 16 kills, while Kaylen Hines added 11. Taylor Williams anchored the defense with 14 digs.

Up Next:
Alabama State will open their regular season with a trip to Arizona to play in the Wildcat Classic. The Hornets will face Arizona, Fresno State, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.