ROME -- In a battle of the only unbeaten teams remaining the Gulf South Conference, the Lady Hawks needed five sets, but when it was all said and done they walked away as the only team without a loss; topping No. 23 North Alabama 3-2.

The Lady Hawks move to 8-0 on the season and 3-0 in conference play; while North Alabama goes to 9-1 overall and 1-1 in the GSC.

Shorter jumped ahead 1-0 with a 25-22 win in the first set, before dropping the next two sets 25-21 and 25-16. Needing to win to keep the match alive, the Lady Hawks rallied in the fourth frame to earn the win 25-17 and force the deciding set; which they won 15-13.

In the final set, the teams traded the lead. Tied 11-11, Shorter tallied back-to-back points, on a kill from Madeline Munroe and an error from UNA, to make it a 13-11 game. From there the teams once again traded points, until it was a 14-13 game. Lexie Bradley served for the Lion's to tie the set, but after a long rally, Munroe put the game away on her ninth kill of the night.

In addition to Munroe's nine kills, Elizabeth Dowd added 13 and Tiffani Estep chipped in with 11; while Kelsi Jones added seven on the night.

Alli Bell led the Lady Hawks with 22 assists on the evening, with Cheyenne Frady chipping in with 21. Morgan Cleveland finished the night with a team high four service aces; while Frady posted three.

On the receiving end, Dowd and Cheyenne McLemore recorded 20 digs for Shorter, and Cleveland added 10. While, at the net Shorter finished with 11 total blocks on the night; Estep posted seven – two solo, five assisted – and Jones had a hand in four – two solo and two assisted.

The Lady Hawks will look to keep the streak alive Saturday afternoon, September 17, at 2:00pm when they host Alabama Huntsville in a Gulf South Conference match-up at the Winthrop-King Centre.