BABSON PARK, Fla. (November 9, 2018) – The top-seeded Webber International University women's volleyball team swept its Crooked Lake rival and fifth-seeded Warner University 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-21) in their Sun Conference Tournament Semifinal matchup on Friday night inside the Sabbagh Athletic Center. In addition to their three wins this year over Warner, the Warriors will now be playing in their third TSC Tournament Championship match in three seasons.

All three sets were tight with both teams hitting similar percentages throughout. The Warriors trailed 16-15 in the opening set before a 4-0 run featuring two kills by Virginia Salanoa-Sagapolu made it 19-16 Webber. The Royals then got it back to a one-point margin twice at 21-20 and 23-22 before back-to-back kills by Svenja Koenig and Emily Bowen ended it.

The second set was extremely similar to the first as Webber trailed 16-15, but the Warriors used a 3-0 spurt to go ahead 18-16. The Warriors then jumped ahead by three at 21-18 and then by four at 24-20 after back-to-back kills by Bowen. The second set was again finished off by a Bowen kill.

The final set featured a huge 8-0 Warrior run that made it 18-11 Webber. A 23-15 Warrior advantage was then trimmed to three after a 5-0 Royal run, but a big assisted block by Koenig and Salla Rautiainen stopped the run in its tracks.

Webber was led by Valerie Vargas with a double-double of 19 assists and 16 digs. She had her double-double after only two sets with 11 assists and 12 digs.

Nayrelis Pantoja Santos recorded 19 digs, followed by Hannah Tannone and Mekenzie Breuklander each with 10 digs.

After recording seven kills in the first set, Salanoa-Sagapolu finished with 10 kills. Kalameli Matautia was next with eight kills and Koenig added six kills and five blocks.

Head Coach Lindsey Martin said, "Tonight was a great win. Both teams played intelligently and aggressively. We will carry the momentum from the win into the championship match tomorrow against the College of Coastal Georgia."

The win propelled Webber (23-5) into The Sun Conference Tournament championship match for the third year in a row. The first-seeded Warriors will meet up with third-seeded the College of Coastal Georgia (21-11) at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 10, on the court inside the Sabbagh Athletic Center.  

In the first meeting of the season between Webber and Coastal Georgia on the Warriors' home court, Webber swept the Mariners 3-0. Now, the Mariners are one of the hottest teams in the TSC after taking down Webber in three sets themselves during the final week of the regular season and upsetting second-seeded Southeastern University 3-1 in the first TSC tournament semifinal on Friday.

Saturday's TSC Tournament championship match can be live streamed HERE.