FLORENCE, Ala. (September 12, 2025) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team opened the Noona Kennard Volleyball Tournament in Florence on Friday night, defeating Western Carolina with a 3-0 sweep inside CB&S Bank Arena.
North Alabama (5-4) opened the Noona Kennard Volleyball Tournament with a strong display, securing a near wire-to-wire victory. The Lions earned a sweep for the second-straight match and bested the visitors in the first all-series meeting.
Additionally, tonight's win was the 50th for head coach Tristan Johnson, who is in his fourth season at UNA.
UNA's kill leaders were sophomore Reese Ricketts and junior Kendall Barnes with 15 and 12, respectively. Sophomore Kinslee McGowan dished out a match-high 32 assists, while junior Olivia Fenoff tied Barnes with three service aces. Ricketts and junior Ava Martindale led with 12 and 11 digs, respectively, and junior Nicole Sargent registered four blocks to lead the team.
The Lions dropped the first point in set one, but that would be the last time they trailed in the entire match.
After an initial back-and-forth, the Lions took control of the set with a 4-0 run to lead 11-5. Sargent sparked the run with three points off of two aces and one kill. UNA maintained its five-point advantage until a second 4-0 run made it 22-13. Ricketts led the run with two kills with an ace from Fenoff. UNA's offense had a solid .250 attack percentage with Ricketts' five set kills leading to a 25-18 win.
Set two started more competitive before the Lions pulled away midway with a 6-0 run. The Lions led 12-11 when six-straight points gave the hosts the 18-11 cushion. The trio of Sargent, Barnes and Ricketts ignited the run with two kills from Ricketts and two aces from Barnes. Sargent gained one kill and assisted a block with sophomore Dylann Garner. Five Lions had two or more kills to give UNA the two-set lead, 25-16.
North Alabama opened with a 7-2 run in set three, but Western Carolina responded with a 6-1 run of their own to tie the set, 8-8. The two teams alternated points until 4-0 run midway put UNA up 18-13 for more breathing room. Barnes, Ricketts and Sargent combined for four kills to give the hosts the momentum, but the Catamounts continued to fight. A 4-1 Western Carolina run cut the Lions lead to 19-17, but UNA's offense was at its peak in the final frame. Nineteen kills on a .283 hitting percentage kept the Catamounts at bay for a 25-20 UNA victory.
UP NEXT
The Noona Kennard Volleyball Tournament continues on Sunday, Sept. 14 with North Alabama facing Alabama at 2 p.m. in CB&S Bank Arena.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
