HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey volleyball team bounced back from a slow start Friday night to defeat UT Southern 3-1 at the Ben Waddle Sports Facility.
The Lady Crusaders faced an early challenge in the opening set as the Firehawks raced out to a 10-6 lead and later extended their advantage to 17-10. Carey responded by trimming the deficit to 17-14 and later pulled within 23-20, but UT Southern finished the set with two straight points to claim a 25-20 victory.
Carey quickly regrouped in the second set, opening with an 8-4 lead. The Firehawks answered by tying the score at 10-10 and eventually moving in front 13-12. The Lady Crusaders remained composed and surged ahead 18-14. UT Southern once again threatened, cutting the deficit to 20-19, but Carey closed the set on a 5-2 run to secure the win and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set featured a tightly contested battle with neither team able to gain much separation. UT Southern eventually built a 16-13 advantage before Carey responded with a 4-0 run to reclaim the lead. The back-and-forth affair continued until a block from
Alyssa Portee and
Alejandra Villarreal, followed by a Portee kill, moved the Lady Crusaders to the brink of victory. Villarreal then capped the set with a kill, giving Carey a 2-1 lead in the match.
Set four followed a similar script, with the Firehawks holding a narrow 17-16 advantage midway through the frame. The Lady Crusaders answered with three consecutive kills from
Rachel Stegall,
Reagan Ziegler and Villarreal to take the lead for good. UT Southern remained within striking distance, but Carey used another 3-0 run to build a 24-20 advantage before Stegall sealed the match with a kill.
William Carey returns to action Saturday against Blue Mountain Christian in SSAC play. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Ben Waddle Sports Facility.
