BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels fell 3-1 to the Birmingham Southern Panthers Sunday afternoon in their final Southern Athletic Association match of the regular season.

Senior Cate Rosenthal led with 17 kills followed by Kaitlyn Bassett with 11 and Ashlynn Stephens with 10. Sofia Cendoya tallied 16 digs while Autumn Lilly recorded a career high of 41 assists.

The first set began with kills from Bassett and Hannah Palmer, and Oglethorpe went on to dominate the rest of the set. The Petrels managed to stay several steps ahead of the Panthers and won the set 25-19.

The second set was a surprise for the Petrels, with Birmingham Southern turning things around for a 25-16 win. Now that both teams were settled in, the next set turned into a major battle. The third set began with kills from Camdyn George and Briella Kohler, but most of the set was back-and-forth.

Oglethorpe was the first to reach set point after a kill from Rosenthal, but the Panthers quickly stole two more points. Oglethorpe was able to earn one more point after another kill by Rosenthal, but Birmingham Southern secured a 28-26 win.

The fourth and final set began with the same neck-and-neck race of the third set, but the Panthers suddenly moved into a 15-10 lead that gave them the upper hand for the rest of the game. The Petrels fell 25-20 in the final game.  

Match notes 

• This is the third time Autumn Lilly has broken her season high for assists. 
• Combined, the Petrels made 53 kills while limiting the Panthers to 50. 

Up Next 

The Stormy Petrels will play two nonconference matches hosted at Covenant on Saturday, Nov. 4, first against Lynchburg at 2 p.m., then Covenant at 4 p.m. The Southern Athletic Association tournament begins Friday, Nov. 10, with Oglethorpe facing Centre at 12 p.m. on neutral ground at Berry. The Petrels will enter the tournament after finishing the regular season sixth in the league.