HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey volleyball team rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat the University of Mobile in a thrilling five-set battle Saturday afternoon at the Ben Waddle Complex.
The opening set was tightly contested early, with both teams exchanging points until Mobile used a 5-1 run to build an 11-7 advantage. The Lady Crusaders remained composed and fought back to within one point at 13-12. The Rams responded by extending their lead to 17-13 before pulling away late for a 25-20 first-set victory.
Mobile carried that momentum into the second set, opening with a 4-1 run. William Carey quickly regrouped and eventually grabbed a 9-8 lead. From there, neither team was able to create much separation as the set remained close throughout. Tied at 19-19, the Rams closed on a decisive 6-1 run to earn a 25-20 win and take a commanding 2-0 match lead.
The third set followed a similar script early, with Mobile jumping out in front and Carey battling to stay within striking distance. The Rams maintained their advantage until late in the set when a kill by
Maurin Reyes and a block from Reyes and
Reagan Ziegler tied the score at 17-17.
The Lady Crusaders appeared to seize control, scoring five consecutive points to build a 22-18 lead. Mobile refused to go away quietly, trimming the deficit to 23-22. A kill from
Rachel Stegall gave Carey set point, and a block by
Emily Martin and
Aubrey Easley sealed a 25-22 victory to keep the match alive.
Fueled by that momentum, William Carey raced out to a 7-4 lead in the fourth set. The Lady Crusaders held the advantage until back-to-back kills by the Rams evened the score at 16-16. The teams traded points down the stretch, with the lead changing hands multiple times. Mobile used consecutive kills to take a 23-22 edge late in the set, but Carey responded when a Rams attack error tied the score. Stegall followed with a kill to put the Lady Crusaders ahead, and Reyes and Easley combined for a block to secure a 25-23 win and force a decisive fifth set.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the final frame. Carey grabbed an early lead and held a narrow 10-9 advantage before Stegall delivered two kills, coupled with a Mobile error, to extend the margin to 13-9.
The Rams mounted one final comeback attempt, pulling within one point on two occasions, including one at 14-13. Any hopes of a Mobile rally were ended when
Alejandra Villarreal recorded the match-winning kill, giving William Carey a 15-13 fifth-set victory and completing the dramatic comeback.
The Lady Crusaders return to action Friday, Sept. 18, when they host Xavier University in SSAC play. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Ben Waddle Complex.
