ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- The Auburn University at Montgomery volleyball team opened its 2022 campaign Friday, dropping a pair of matches at the Reddie-Tiger Invitational. Despite playing extra points in the third set of each match, the Warhawks fell to Arkansas-Fort Smith and Quincy University by 3-0 scores.

Freshman Kendall McCain and sophomore Ylenia De Mango combined for 41 of AUM's 68 kills in the two matches, while McCain, senior Keren Santana and junior newcomer Brynne Hopeau-Lampitoc finished the day with double-digit digs. Junior Amber Bretwisch directed the offense and tallied 56 assists in the two matches.

THE WARMUP (Match 1)
Score: Arkansas-Fort Smith 3, AUM 0 (10-25, 15-25, 31-33)
Records: UAFS 1-0 | AUM 0-1
Series: Arkansas-Fort Smith leads 2-0
Location: Arkadelphia, Ark. | Duke Wells Center
Get Social: Twitter & Instagram - @AUMWarhawksVB

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Lions took set one, 25-10, using a 10-1 run midway through the set to take a 1-0 advantage.
• With AUM leading 8-7 in set two, UAFS was able to again seize advantage with an 8-0 run to take a 15-8 lead. AUM cut the deficit to 17-12 on a kill by Bretwisch, but the Lions closed the set with an 8-3 spurt to take a 2-0 lead.
• Set three turned into an instant classic, as the Lions outlasted the Warhawks, 33-31. AUM raced out to a 10-5 advantage behind four service aces, but UAFS rallied back and tied the score at 14-14. AUM took the match to set point, 24-23, following a solo block by junior Kyla Ffrench and again at 28-27 following a pair of Lion attack errors. Graduate student Dariona Dash helped the team stave off defeat with a kill to tie the score at 29-29, before the team's alternated points to 31-31. The Lions sealed the win with consecutive points to take the set 33-31.

STATS OF THE MATCH

• McCain led the Warhawks with 10 kills and 13 digs
• De Mango posted nine kills and a team-leading two blocks.
• Bretwisch collected a team-high 24 assists and had a pair of service aces.
• Hopeau-Lampitoc finished with double-figure digs, tallying 10 in the match and adding a service ace.
• Freshman Gabriela Bieniek contributed two aces in her collegiate debut.
• Reagan Macha (13), Chloe Alderson (10) and Kaelyn McDonald (10) led the Lions in kills.
• Lauren Weber posted a match-high 22 digs for UAFS.

THE WARMUP (Match 2)
Score: Quincy 3, AUM 0 (17-25, 11-25, 30-32)
Records: QU 2-0 | AUM 0-2
Series: Quincy leads 1-0
Location: Arkadelphia, Ark. | Duke Wells Center
Get Social: Twitter & Instagram - @AUMWarhawksVB

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Eagles raced out to a 12-3 lead, but a furious rally by the Warhawks cut the deficit to 17-14 following a kill by junior Giulia Santuari. A kill by Ffrench kept AUM within three points, 20-17, but Quincy rattled off the final five points to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
• The Warhawks opened the set with a 6-3 run, keyed by a pair of McCain kills, but the Eagles closed the match with 22 of the final 27 points in the set and extended their lead to 2-0 in the match.
• Much like the opener, the final set proved to be a back-and-forth affair. The largest leads in the contest were a pair of three-point advantages for Quincy, yet AUM still held a 24-22 advantage late in the set. Following an Eagles rally, the Warhawks overcame five match points, before eventually dropping the match.

STATS OF THE MATCH

• De Mango capped off a strong day with 11 kills, tying for the team lead in the match and giving her 20 kills for the day.
• McCain posted her second double-digit kill total against the Eagles, matching De Mango's 11 kills in the match. She added seven digs.
• Santana tallied a team-high 12 in the contest.
• Santuari finished with five kills and five digs.
• Bretwisch assisted on 32 kills, while adding four digs, two kills, a service ace and a block.
• Mattie Norris, Alice Pavan and Emma Wijnbergen all recorded 11 kills for Quincy. Norris added a team-leading 15 digs.
• Makayla Knoblauch collected 33 assists, seven digs, three kills and three service aces for the Eagles.

WORDS FROM THE WARHAWKS
"I was very pleased with the way Kendall and Ylenia played today," said head coach Flavia Siqueira. "Kendall has been very aggressive on the court and is a very intelligent player for a freshman. Ylenia was a very consistent player for us last year and showed that same consistency today. I do think our chemistry is still a work in progress. Our team seemed to get more and more comfortable playing together as the match went on, but by that time it was too late. I would really like to see us start the matches tomorrow with the same intensity we had at the end of the matches today.."
 
UP NEXT
The Warhawks conclude play at the Reddie-Tiger Invitational on Saturday when they face Ouachita Baptist and Cameron. The contest against the Tigers is slated to begin at 11 a.m., with the match against the Aggies to follow at 1:30 p.m. 
   
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