The Lions won despite being outhit by a .263 to .217 margin. North Alabama, however, had 24 more attempts in the match which led to 15 more kills than Central Missouri.
In the deciding fifth-game, the score was tied at five when North Alabama scored eight of the next 10 points to grab a 13-7 lead. The Jennies refused to give up, scoring four straight to get within two at 13-11. The two teams traded sideouts the rest of the way, with the Lions winning the title on a kill by Yana Ninova.
Ninova led North Alabama with 36 kills while hitting .346. Te'Jaye Redd had 20 kills and hit .359 in the match. Vanessa Ferretti was the other player in double-figure kills with 13. Ashley Moffitt had 75 assists, Myshara High led the team with seven blocks and Amy Moffitt recorded a team-high 25 digs.
For the Jennies, Carrie Potthast recorded 23 kills and Elyse Mohme added 16 kills and eight blocks. Trudy Carter hit .394 and collected 15 kills. Kaci Young had 53 assists and Katie Tarka had a team-high 18 digs.
North Alabama advances to the NCAA Elite Eight on Dec. 4-6. Central Missouri ends its season with a record of 26-11.
All-Tournament Team
Ashley Moffitt, North Alabama
Elyse Mohme, Central Missouri
Yana Ninova, North Alabama
Carrie Potthast, Central Missouri
Te'Jaye Redd, North Alabama
Katie Tarka, Central Missouri