MARION, Ind. – The Talladega volleyball team dropped a hard-fought 3-1 match at No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan in the NAIA Opening Round.

The tornadoes conclude their outstanding season with a 31-9 ledger. The squad finished 15-1 in conference action.

Talladega's 31 wins were tied for the second most nationally heading into the NAIA Opening Round.

Head coach LaShaunda Spurgeon's team was paced by Zyaire Prettie Garrit's team-high 14 kills. She hit .225 while adding seven digs and an ace.

Kiana Polk notched eight kills while Kortni Johnson added six kills and three blocks, including two of the solo variety.

Re'na Ashley accounted for six kills and two blocks while Nedu Evans had five kills and four block assists. Josephine Gates chipped in four kills and two blocks.

Defensively, Briyith Echevrri had an outstanding match with a match-high 29 digs.

Giovana Costarelli dished out 22 assists while Dominique Madarang distributed 16 in the loss.

Trailing 20-13 in the first set, Evans slammed home a kill. Two plays later, Costarelli found Kiana Polk for a point, making it 22-14. Prettie Garrit followed it up with a kill. Evans completed the 3-0 spurt with another point, but the Wildcats netted the final three points of the set.

The late momentum by the Tornadoes helped propel the offense going into the second stanza. Down 4-1, Prettie Garrit posted a kill. After an attack error Prettie Garrit knotted the score with a kill at 4-4. Tied at 7-7, Johnson registered a point. An attack error by IWU made it 9-7 in favor of the visitors. A block by Johnson and a kill from her gave Talladega a 15-13 advantage.

Holding an 18-17 lead, Evans and Re'na Ashley blocked an attempt. Prettie Garrit added a point before Taquoia Rounds served up an ace for a 21-17 lead. Up 22-20, Ashley garnered a kill. Johnson and Gates combined for a block. However, the Wildcats pulled within two at 24-22, forcing a time-out. After the break, a service error gave the Tornadoes the three-point victory.   

The set win marked just the seventh time all season IWU had lost a frame.

Talladega trailed 15-6 in the third set but an error by the home team and a kill from Prettie Garrit made it 15-8. Down 17-11, Ashley accounted for a kill. Johnson added a point to make it 17-13. But that was as close as the team could get in the set.

Johnson pulled the visitors within five at 16-11 in the fourth frame but the No. 2 Wildcats managed to pull out the 25-15 victory.