HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey volleyball team rallied from a late deficit in the fourth set to secure a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Xavier University of Louisiana on Friday night at the Ben Waddle Complex.
The Lady Crusaders came out firing in the opening set, using a 9-2 run to build early momentum before stretching their advantage to 18-10. Xavier battled back and trimmed the deficit to four on multiple occasions, but Carey held firm. Back-to-back kills from
Emily Martin and
Rachel Stegall closed out the set and gave WCU a 1-0 lead.
Xavier answered in the second set, jumping out to an early 5-1 advantage. Carey responded by battling back to even the score at 5-5, but the Gold Nuggets quickly seized control. A dominant 13-2 run allowed Xavier to pull away for a 25-13 victory, evening the match at one set apiece.
The Lady Crusaders regained control in the third set, resembling the team that dominated the opener. Carey raced to a 9-2 lead and never looked back. Xavier cut the deficit to four at 12-8, but WCU answered with a 9-2 run of its own to put the set out of reach. A block by
Agnes Hegardt and
Reagan Ziegler capped a 25-14 win and gave Carey a 2-1 match advantage.
The fourth set followed a similar pattern to the second early on. Xavier grabbed the lead, while Carey worked its way back in front at 9-8. The Gold Nuggets then appeared poised to force a decisive fifth set, using a 9-2 surge to take a commanding 17-10 lead.
This time, however, the Lady Crusaders had an answer.
Facing a seven-point deficit, Carey mounted a remarkable comeback. The Lady Crusaders erupted for a 14-2 run, recording seven kills and two service aces during the stretch to turn a 17-10 hole into a 24-19 advantage.
Maurin Reyes punctuated the rally with a match-clinching kill, sealing a 25-20 fourth-set victory and the 3-1 win.
William Carey returns to action Saturday as it continues conference play against Loyola University. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Ben Waddle Complex.
