MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The William Carey University volleyball team split a pair of matches Saturday afternoon, falling to Reinhardt University 3-1 before rebounding with a 3-1 victory over Webber International.
Reinhardt 3, William Carey 1
Against the Eagles, the Lady Crusaders got off to a slow start and found themselves trailing 11-6 early in the opening set. Reinhardt extended its advantage to 18-10 before Carey mounted a rally, closing the gap to 22-21. The Eagles, however, answered with three consecutive points to secure the 25-21 set victory.
WCU responded in the second set, jumping out to an early lead before Reinhardt battled back to tie the score at 10-10. After the teams traded points, the Lady Crusaders used a 7-2 run to build a 20-15 advantage. Carey maintained control the rest of the way, taking the set 25-19 to even the match at one set apiece.
The third set was tightly contested, with Reinhardt holding a slight edge while Carey stayed within striking distance throughout. A kill by
Gabriela Martensson tied the set at 20-20, but the Eagles answered with three straight points and never looked back, taking the set 25-21.
The fourth set followed a similar pattern. Reinhardt claimed an early lead before a 5-0 Carey run gave the Lady Crusaders a 9-7 advantage. The teams exchanged points until the Eagles regained control and used a 5-0 run to open a 20-16 lead. Reinhardt held on for a 25-21 win to clinch the match.
William Carey 3, Webber International 1
The Lady Crusaders bounced back in their second match of the day against Webber International.
Carey opened the match with an 8-3 lead, but the Warriors rallied to take a 15-13 advantage. The teams battled back and forth before Webber pulled away late for a 25-21 first-set victory.
The second set appeared to be headed in the Warriors' favor as Webber turned a deficit into a 19-14 lead and later extended the margin to 22-17. Refusing to fold, the Lady Crusaders stormed back with an 8-1 run to erase the deficit and claim a dramatic 25-23 victory.
The third set featured another tightly contested battle. Carey built a 17-14 lead midway through the frame, only to see Webber respond and move ahead 21-19. The Lady Crusaders quickly tied the score at 21-21, but the Warriors again surged ahead and reached set point at 24-22.
Facing elimination in the set, Carey dug deep.
Malorie Gaughf and
Alejandra Villarreal delivered consecutive kills, and
Lara Monteiro added a service ace to give the Lady Crusaders a 25-24 lead. After the teams traded points, Villarreal put Carey within one point of victory before
Rachel Stegall recorded the match-winning kill to complete another comeback and give WCU a 2-1 match lead.
The back-and-forth battle continued into the fourth set, with neither team able to create much separation. Webber gradually built a 21-18 lead and later held a 24-21 advantage. With the Warriors on the brink of forcing a fifth set, Villarreal sparked a rally with back-to-back kills. Gaughf and
Reagan Ziegler then combined for a match-clinching block at the net, sealing the comeback victory for the Lady Crusaders.
William Carey returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 12, when the Lady Crusaders host Mobile in their conference opener. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Ben Waddle Complex.
