HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Auburn Montgomery volleyball team concluded play in the UAH Classic on Saturday afternoon with matches against Tuskegee and Harding, besting the Golden Tigers 3-0 (25-7, 25-18, 25-11) before falling to the Bison 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-21).
 
NOTES
• AUM moves to 2-2 on the season
• Tuskegee drops to 0-4
• Harding improves to 5-0
 
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Freshman outside hitter Skylar Coppinger led the offense in both matches, boasting 11 kills on a .333 hitting percentage against Tuskegee with seven terminations against Harding for 18 total. The Tallahassee, Fla., native also contributed three service aces against Tuskegee.
• Junior middle blocker Brianna Garvin stifled the Golden Tigers in the opening match with four total blocks (two solo, two assisted) and contributed seven kills on a .700 clip. Garvin added one more block to her total in the second game.
• Junior setter Carly Smart dished out 36 assists for the day with a pair of service aces against Tuskegee.
• Sophomore defensive specialist Haley Toler anchored the defense with 19 digs over the two matches.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)
• AUM held Tuskegee to a -.273 hitting percentage in the first set en route to a 25-7 victory. The Warhawks opened up the day with seven-consecutive points, highlighted by a pair of service aces from Coppinger and held a lead of six or higher for the remainder of the set.
• Tuskegee took its first lead of the contest in the second set, benefiting from an AUM service error to take the 1-0 advantage and created its largest separation of the contest early in the frame off a 4-0 spree to make it 6-3. Trailing 9-7, AUM orchestrated a 9-2 run to retake the lead for good.
• The Warhawks controlled the entire third set, boasting a day-best .565 hitting percentage with 15 terminations to complete the sweep. AUM never trailed in the finale, beginning the frame with a 3-0 run and scoring eight of the first 10 points to create a comfortable lead which the Golden Tigers failed to claw into.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)
• AUM went blow-for-blow with Harding for the opening 24 points, trailing by only two at 13-11 before a costly 5-0 spree by the Bison gave them them a daunting 18-11 lead.
• Harding, a team which finished 2016 with the 15th-lowest opposing hitting percentage in the country, showed off their defensive prowess in the second set, holding the Warhawks to a -.094 clip. The Bison quickly created a double-digit advantage at 15-5 which AUM could not overcome.
• The Warhawks had their best defensive set of the match in the finale, holding Harding to a .205 hitting percentage with seven errors. AUM took its first lead of the contest early in the frame, using back-to-back points to take a 3-2 advantage. The Warhawks held onto the lead until a five-point spree by Harding propelled them to a 17-14 advantage. Garvin tried to spark a rally with a kill and block in back-to-back plays to make it a one-point set at 17-16, but Harding ended the rally and maintained its lead.
  
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (GAME 1)
• AUM finished the match against Tuskegee with 34 kills off a .356 hitting percentage while holding the Golden Tigers to a -.108 clip.
• The Warhawks overpowered Tuskegee from the service line, where the Golden Tigers finished 2016 with the 33rd most aces in Division II last season, with 10 aces versus two.
• AUM won the battle at the net with six blocks while holding Tuskegee without one.
• Tuskegee finished the bout with a 24-23 advantage in digs.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (GAME 2)
• AUM finished the contest with 27 kills on a .108 hitting percentage versus a .361 clip with 46 kills for Harding
• Harding held a 42-37 advantage in digs
• The two sides combined for six blocks with AUM posting two.

QUOTE FROM COACH
"We played some competitive teams and we got the opportunity to have a sneak peek of what our conference competition looks like," Head coach Melissa Robinson said of the UAH Classic. "We had some challenges as a team but addressing those issues early on allows us to be prepared for the season. Our team played well and had some great plays. I am excited for the future of AUM volleyball."
 
UP NEXT
The Warhawks travel to Albany, Ga., on Thursday, Sept. 7 for a midweek bout with Albany State. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.