MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Auburn University at Montgomery volleyball program knocked off No. 16 University of West Florida in a five-set thriller on Friday night inside the AUM Athletics Complex in a Gulf South Conference classic by a final score of 3-2. 

The victory is AUM's first ever against a nationally ranked opponent. 

THE WARMUP 
Score: No. 16 UWF 2, AUM 3
Records: UWF 21-7(13-1 GSC) | AUM 21-8 (10-4 GSC)
Series: UWF leads 11-1
Location: Montgomery, Ala. | AUM Athletics Complex 
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HIGHLIGHTS

• Amber Bretwisch helped AUM get off to a hot start with a service ace to make it 8-3 in the opening set. The Argos trimmed away at the lead and eventually took an 18-17 lead, but the Warhawks kept pushing. Back-to-back kills from Keren Santana and Kyla Ffrench helped AUM retake the lead. UWF bounced right back and held a 24-21 lead, but a kill from Giulia Santuari and four attack errors on UWF gave AUM a 26-24 victory in set one. 
• Set two was much like the first, Santana posted a kill to give AUM a 9-5 lead. Later in the set, the score was tied up at 22-22 and the Argonauts earned three consecutive points to take the 25-22 win in set two. 
• AUM stayed focused in the third set and took an early 9-5 lead after four attack errors on UWF. A kill from Greta Corrente and a service ace from Savannah Sebek gave the Orange & Black a 14-8 lead. West Florida got right back in the set and Myllena Torquetti posted a kill and service ace to help give the Warhawks a 25-20 victory in the third set and take a 2-1 lead in the match. 
• Set four began and West Florida and AUM continued to battle it out on the floor. The two teams exchanged points and with a 19-18 AUM lead in the set, the Argos finished the fourth set with a 7-0 run to win the fourth set and even the match at 2-2. 
• In the fifth and final set, UWF jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. AUM quickly tied it at 3-3 after a kill from Torquetti. UWF eventually claimed a 8-6 lead as the two teams swapped sides and the Warhawks utilized a 4-0 run to take a 9-8 lead highlighted by two kills from Maya Thompson. AUM held the lead and UWF tied it up at 13-13. AUM's Torquetti and Santuari posted kills to clinch the match for the Warhawks. 

STATS OF THE MATCH

• Santuari posted 13 kills and scored 14 points with a solo block. 
• Corrente, Sebek, and Kaleigh Fitzgerald combined for 65 digs in the match. 
• Torquetti had 11 kills. 
• Sebek and Amber Bretwisch combined to dish out 41 assists. 

WORDS WITH THE WARHAWKS
"We were the underdogs in today's match," head volleyball coach Flavia Siqueira said. "We showed a lot of heart, teamwork, and determination can overcome any challenge. UWF has always been a nationally recognized team that challenges any opponent and tonight, our players had to be extremely focused and determined as a team in order to compete against them. This win is not just about the final score, It is about journey that led us here and our belief in each other, pushing our limits, and never backing down from a fight. Our athletes demonstrated that with the right mindset and a never-give-up attitude, dreams can become a reality."

UP NEXT

The Warhawks are on the road for a GSC matchup at Union University on Friday, November, 10 at 6 p.m.   
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