MONTGOMERY, Ala. – It was a back-and-forth marathon for the Auburn University at Montgomery Warhawks volleyball team (1-11, GSC: 0-4) inside the AUM Athletics Complex. For the second time in the last three matches, the Warhawks went the distance. On Thursday night, it was against the Christian Brothers University Buccaneers (7-9, GSC: 2-3), and it was the Lady Bucs who walked away with the five-set victory. 
 
The orange and black were led by Kendall McCain, who broke the Warhawks career kills record on Tuesday against Valdosta State. She totaled 23 kills on a .316 attack percentage and added a career-high 20 digs for the double-double. Tonight's five-set match makes McCain AUM's career leader in sets played with 328 and in career points with 877.0.
 
Salome Dejesus De La Torres also put together a double-double with 17 digs and matched her season high in kills with 11, while Courtney Joseph totaled 11 points with eight kills and five total blocks. 
 
The Lady Bucs had 20 kills from Ella Schumacher, while Addison Waggoner totaled 19 kills and digs each. Lilly Oxford added 12 digs and four aces. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1
The first set was a back-and-forth battle. Trailing 22-20, CBU used four straight points to force set point, 24-22. AUM did get a McCain kill on the next point to keep the set alive, but Schumacher's spike gave the visiting Lady Bucs the 1-0 lead. 
 
Set 2
The intensity continued into set two. CBU was able to make it a 13-9 lead midway through the frame, but AUM was able to reclaim the lead, 17-16, on a Jaslyn Montgomery spike. 
 
Three points later, tied at 18, McCain's kill from Addi Vinson gave the Warhawks the lead, 19-18. Despite Christian Brothers earning the side out on the next point, AUM won the next three points to take the 22-19 lead, including a Kiara Vega service ace. 
 
CBU, unfortunately, did not go away, as a 5-1 run had them at set point again. Needing one point to take the 2-0 match lead, Joseph's strong kill evened it all at 24.
 
Tied at 27, a bad CBU set and a Dejesus De La Torres spike gave AUM the 29-27 set win and tied the match at a set apiece. 
 
Set 3
CBU stormed out to a 10-2 lead early. Later, after a CBU error and a Montgomery and Vinson assisted block, the Warhawks made it an 11-5 deficit. 
 
However, the Lady Bucs finished the set on a 14-4 run, including eight straight points, to win the frame 25-9 and lead the match two sets to one. 
 
The Warhawks were unable to get their offense going, only scoring three of their nine points on kills, while the Lady Bucs hit .333 in the set and posted 14 kills. 
 
Set 4
AUM was able to flush out the previous set quickly and took a 9-5 lead. However, the vigor of the previous two matches came back in the fourth set.
 
CBU had a 21-15 advantage, but seven straight points by AUM thanks to three kills by Dejesus De La Torres flipped the script to the home team's favor, as the Warhawks took the 22-21 lead. 
 
Later, CBU had match point with a Schumacher kill to lead 24-23, but AUM forced a deciding fifth set on the next points with another spike by McCain. 
 
Set 5
The Lady Bucs opened the final set with a 5-3 lead, but the Warhawks were able to even the set at seven points apiece with a Dejesus De La Torres kill. 
 
After an AUM service error that gave the ball back to Christian Brothers with an 8-7 lead, as well as the teams switching sides, the Warhawks won two straight, grabbing a 9-8 lead. 
 
McCain's kill later would tie the set at 10 points apiece, but CBU would win four of the next five points to have match point, ahead 14-11. 
 
After McCain's fifth kill of the set to make it 14-12, she went back to serve and landed a service ace right past Sophia Nowacki to get one point closer, but Schumacher's seventh and final kill of the frame was the result of Christian Brothers winning the battle in five sets. 
 
UP NEXT
The weekend home stand wraps up on Saturday with a Gulf South Conference tilt with Union at 2 p.m. from the AUM Athletics Complex.
 
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