HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey University volleyball team earned a hard-fought straight-set victory over Dillard University on Tuesday night at the Ben Waddle Sports Facility.
The opening set was tightly contested from the start. Dillard built an early 7-4 advantage before the Lady Crusaders responded, taking an 11-10 lead on consecutive kills by
Gabriela Martensson and
Reagan Ziegler. The two teams traded points throughout much of the frame, with neither side leading by more than two points until Carey created some separation with a 21-17 advantage.
The Bleu Devils answered with four straight points to even the score and force a tense finish. After several late exchanges, a
Rachel Stegall kill moved the Lady Crusaders to set point before a Dillard attack error secured the 25-23 victory.
The second set followed a similar script as William Carey maintained a narrow lead while Dillard stayed within striking distance. Holding a 22-20 advantage late in the set, the Lady Crusaders capitalized on back-to-back Bleu Devil errors to gain breathing room.
Alejandra Villarreal then closed out the frame with a kill, giving Carey a two-set lead.
The final set remained close throughout, with William Carey holding a slim 20-19 edge late. The Lady Crusader offense found another gear down the stretch, recording four kills during a decisive 5-0 run to seal the set and complete the match sweep.
William Carey returns to SSAC action on Friday, Oct. 16, when the Lady Crusaders travel to Montgomery, Ala., to face Faulkner University. First serve is slated for 6 p.m.
