BOCA RATON, Fla. – Following a pair of sweeps to start the season, Alabama A&M (0-3, 0-0 SWAC) got on the board with an opening set victory but dropped the next three in a 3-1 loss to Mercer (1-2, 0-0 SoCon) in their in an NCAA Division I women's volleyball match, and their final at the FAU Invitational, on Saturday, August 27.
 
The Bulldogs came out strong as they scored six of the first eight points before MU used a 5-1 run to deadlock at 7-7. From there seven kills fueled a 10-4 run that vaulted A&M back into the lead at 17-11, only to see the Bears use an 11-5 run to knot it up at 22-22. At that point, however, a bad set followed by kills from freshman outside hitter Bailey Duckett (Huntsville, Ala.) and freshman middle blocker Madison Reagins (Duncanville, Texas) put away the set at 25-22.
 
It would be a far different scenario in the second set as Mercer erupted for a massive 19-7 lead early on and never looked back. They would go on to close out the frame at 25-11 and tie up the match at 1-1. For much of the third set it would be more of the same as the Bears mauled their way to a commanding 22-12 lead late. The Bulldogs battled back, scoring five of six points from there to get to within six before a service error ended the run and an ace by Kiera McCarles closed out a 25-17 victory.
 
Locking horns in the fourth set, the clubs would deadlock at 6-6 before descending into a game of runs. MU scored five straight seven of the next eight to take a 13-7 advantage but the Bulldogs would not go away. They answered with a massive 11-4 run keyed by three kills from Duckett to flip the script and pull ahead 18-17.
 
It wouldn't stay that way for long, however, as a pair of aces by Abbey Havrilla, sandwiched between two errors, fueled a 4-0 burst that left Mercer with a 21-18 lead. A&M managed three of the next four points to bounce back to within 22-21 but that would be as close as they would get. The Bears put it on repeat three straight times as McCarles found Annie Karle for three straight kills to escape with a 25-21 victory and 3-1 match decision.
 
Duckett delivered once again for the Bulldogs as she recorded her first career double-double with a team-high 11 kills and 12 digs to go with three assists while sophomore setter Keyara Brooks (Arlington, Texas) dished out 15 assists and popped up five digs.
 
Reagins helped power the offense with seven kills and seven assists and freshman outside hitter Caitlin Shaw (Desoto, Texas) added nine kills, four digs and a pair of block assists. Freshman libero Miya Benson (Desoto, Texas) came away with a team-high tying 12 digs to round out the top performers.
 
Karle drove home a match-high 20 kills along with nine digs, a solo block and two block assists and McCarles handed out 31 assists to go with five kills and six digs for Mercer. Jaida Howell finished with 10 kills, three aces, two solo blocks and two block assists and Lexi Uhrhan joined her defensively with a match-high 13 digs. Havrilla chipped in with 12 digs and Paige Wagers and Lillian Beardsely each added six kills.
 
For their efforts, both Duckett and Shaw earned spots on the 2022 FAU Invitational All-Tournament Team.
 
Alabama A&M is back in action next week as they head to Martin, Tennessee for the Skyhawk Invitational from September 2-3. They will open with host UT-Martin and Arkansas State on Day 1 before facing Western Illinois in the finale on September 3.