HOOVER, Ala. – University of Montevallo closed out its play in the Gulf South Conference / Sunshine State Conference Volleyball Crossover with a 3-2 five-set victory over Nova Southeastern Saturday afternoon at the Hoover Met Finley Center. 

After losing the first set, 25-22, Montevallo bounced back with a 25-21 win to even the match. Nova and UM traded sets once more before the Falcons defeated the sharks 17-15 in the decisive fifth set. 

The win gives Montevallo (11-11) a 1-2 final record in the fifth-annual GSC/SSC Crossover. Montevallo also defeated Nova Southeastern in the 2017 GSC/SSC Crossover in Hoover. 
 
Match Information
Score: Montevallo 3, Nova Southeastern 2 (22-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 17-15)
Records: Montevallo (11-11) | St. Leo (11-8)
Location: Finley Center (Hoover, Alabama)

GAME NOTES
 

• Hannah Fernandez tallied a career-high in kills for the second-straight match, collecting 15 to lead Montevallo against NSU. Brioni Dixon also had 15 kills, and Amanda Nugent had a season-high 14 kills.
• Savannah Roys' 45 assists marked her eighth 40-assist match of the season/career.
• Three Falcons had double-digit digs, led by Michaela Henderson (26), Roys (13) and Skyler Sieber (12).
• Montevallo blocked eight Sharks' attacks in the match, led by seven total blocks from Dixon, four from Evelina Terran and two by Amanda Nugent.
• The stat lines were nearly even for both teams with Montevallo edging Nova Southeastern in kills (60), assists (57) and digs (87). NSU's nine blocks and eight aces were match highs.

HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1
Nova Southeastern used an 9-2 run to take the lead and pull away in the first set, 14-8, before controlling the lead the rest of the set. 

SET 2
A trio of errors early in the set gave Montevallo a 9-7 lead and the Falcons did not let it go. A pair of kills by Brioni Dixon and a Nova attack error clinched the second-set win.
 
 
SET 3
A Montevallo service error broke a 9-9 tie to give Nova Southeastern the lead. The Sharks controlled the rest of the set, using a Brittany Landrum kill and block to establish set point.

SET 4
The Falcons jumped out to a 6-1 lead and maintained its lead to 19-15 before Nova Southeastern rallied with three-straight kills to make it a one-point game, 19-18. An Amanda Nugent kill ended the run and maintained a two-point lead for the Falcons en route to the 25-21 win.

SET 5
Once again a 6-1 start set the tone for the Falcons, but NSU charged back to make it a 6-5 match. Nova built a 12-9 lead, but a service error and attack error swung momentum back toward Montevallo. Michaela Henderson's ace tied it, 12-12. Nova took the lead twice more, setting up set-point at 15-14, but a Nugent kill tied it, 15-15, before Hannah Fernandez hammed out consecutive kills to win the match.
 

UP NEXT
Montevallo returns home to Trustmark Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 22 to host Lee University at 6 p.m. The evening will feature a breast cancer awareness event "Falcons Fighting Cancer" to help raise money for breast cancer research. There will be a cookout at 5 p.m. prior to the game, and a silent auction will also take place inside the arena alongside the game. T-shirts will be on sale at the event for $15 (S-XL) and $20 (2XL-3XL).