AVE MARIA, Fla. (September 13, 2018) – The reigning Sun Conference Defender of the week Nayrelis Pantoja Santos finished with 28 digs to lead the Webber International University women's volleyball team to a 3-1 (26-24, 27-29, 25-12, 25-21) win over Ave Maria University on Thursday night at the Tom Golisano Field House.

Despite a 19-0 all-time record with 13 sweeps against the Gyrenes coming into the match, each of the first two sets required additional scoring to decide a winner as Webber (9-3 overall, 3-0 TSC) had to fight through adversity to start 3-0 in The Sun Conference for the third season in a row. In each of the previous two seasons, the Warriors went on to win The Sun Conference tournament and advance to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.

In the first set, Webber led 18-13 before Ave Maria (3-5, 1-2) battled back to tie it at 19-19. The two teams then traded 3-0 runs and tied things up at 22-22, 23-23 and 24-24 until a kill by Salla Rautiainen and a Gryenes' attack error gave the Warriors the first set victory.

The Warriors then trailed 16-8 in the second set before creating a comeback effort for themselves, using a 6-0 run to draw within two at 16-14. The Warriors, however, could not get closer than that until the end of the set, tying it up at 23-23 on back-to-back kills by Kalameli Matautia and again by Rautiainen.

The Warriors would go on to win the next point and had the advantage of match-point three times, but could not close the deal as Ave Maria hung on and ultimately tied the match up at one set apiece after two Webber attack errors.

After being so close to victory in the second set, the Warriors closed the third set on a huge 18-5 run; and in the fourth set, Webber led 17-11 before the Gyrenes got within two late in the action at 23-21 after a 6-3 run. The final two points of the night came on a kill by Virginia Salanoa-Sagapolu and an assisted block by Salanoa-Sagapolu and Svenja Koenig.

Overall, it was a night of career-highs as four Warriors set a new high or matched their career-best in either kills or blocks.

Coming off a career-high six kills the night before at Keiser University, Rautiainen, a sophomore from Espoo, Finland, was even better on Thursday, finishing with a new career-high of nine kills. She was one of five Warriors were eight or more kills on the night as Salanoa-Sagapolu led both teams with 13; Emily Bowen added 11; Matautia, a junior from Kodiak, Alaska, had a career-high of her own in kills with 10; and Koenig, a sophomore from Pforzheim, Germany, recorded a career-high eight kills with an attack percentage over .500 for the second straight night.

In the digs column, Pantoja Santos, who improved her streak of double-digit digs to start her Webber career to 11 straight matches, was followed by Hannah Tannone with 18 digs and Valerie Vargas with 12.

It was the second double-double of the season for Vargas, who also led both teams with 26 assists. Gilmary Ramos added 21 assists as the pair continued to split the setting duties.

Last but not least, junior Julia Ferraro from South San Francisco, California, made a career-high four solo blocks, and also had a career-high with five total blocks.

The win for the Warriors also comes with a bittersweet feeling after senior Brittany Taksas went down after a strong second kill early in the first set.

Head Coach Lindsey Martin said, "What an inspiring win for Brittany [Taksas]. We were all a little shaken up after she went down, but once we as a team settled down, the girls rallied behind her, finding a way to show the heart of this team and win for her. I couldn't be prouder of the fight these young ladies showed. Great win on the road."

Webber will now return home to the Sabbagh Athletic Center for a four-match home stand that begins with Crooked Lake rival Warner University at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 19.