NEW ORLEANS, La. (August 31, 2018) – The Webber International University women's volleyball team continued its season-opening stretch of tournament action as the Warriors traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, for the Big Easy Blastoff, hosted by Xavier University of Louisiana, and came away with a split on day one of the tournament. Webber defeated nationally-recognized the University of Mobile 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-21) before falling to Martin Methodist University 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-10).

It was a great start to the day as the win for Webber (4-2) over Mobile, which was receiving votes in the 2018 NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, served as a little bit of revenge for the Warriors after it was the Rams who knocked Webber out of the 2016 NAIA National Championship Round by a score of 3-1. Mobile again defeated Webber 3-1 at the Faulkner Invitational in 2017. To begin the 2016 season at the Faulkner Invitational, Webber defeated Mobile, also by a score of 3-1.

This time around, the Warriors were led by two players with 11 kills, Virginia Salanoa-Sagapolu and Cameron Neely, and two other players with 10 digs, Emily Bowen and Nayrelis Pantoja Santos. Hannah Tannone followed with nine digs.

In the first set, Webber scored four consecutive points to go ahead 22-16 before Mobile scored five straight to make it 22-21. From there, the Warriors scored three straight on back-to-back kills by Salanaoa-Sagaplu and a kill by Neely to close it out.

The second set again featured back-to-back kills by Salanaoa-Sagapolu, followed by an ace from Valerie Vargas, to give the Warriors control of the frame at 23-19; and then the third set saw a very similar pattern as the first as Webber scored five straight points to jump ahead 22-16.

Bowen also added four aces to lead a Webber team that ranks 24th in the NAIA in service aces per match.

Additionally, Vargas (15 assists) and Gilmary Ramos (13 assists) split the duties at setter, and Neely used her .476 hitting percentage in the match to raise her team-best hitting percentage to .423 percent overall.

In 2017, Webber defeated Martin Methodist 3-0 at the Southeastern Challenge, but this time, it was all RedHawks as the team picked up its first win of the season. Pantoja Santos was the highlight for the Warriors in that one, collecting 20 digs, and two matches in, she leads the tournament at five digs per set.

Day two of the Big Easy Blastoff on Saturday, September 1, will see the Warriors face William Carey University and in some late night action, the host school, Xavier University of Louisiana.