BABSON PARK, Fla. (August 16, 2021) – The Webber International University women's volleyball team showed its competitive spirit as it fell twice at home against No. 13 Viterbo University, falling 3-1 (25-10, 29-31, 25-23, 25-20) in match number one and then 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-16) in match two.

In the first match, Webber (1-2 overall) handed Viterbo (6-0) its first set-loss of the season with a thrilling 31-29 win in set number two.

Down 22-21 in the second set, the Warriors got three straight points and had match point up 24-22 after a kill by Yanileb Figueroa, however, back-to-back kills by the V-Hawks kept the set going and set up what would be the Warriors' most memorable set of the early season so far.

Webber had match point six more times in the set as the two teams traded each of the next 10 points before back-to-back kills by Bailey Sikkema and Figueroa gave the Warriors the win.

Webber would have a chance to take a 2-1 set lead as a kill by Nadia Reid followed by a service ace from Amanda Vega made it 22-19 Warriors in the third set. However, with the score tied at 23-23, back-to-back kills by the V-Hawks instead gave Viterbo the lead.

The Warriors would show their determination by hanging close in the fourth set before ultimately falling 25-20.

Leading the Warriors would be Sikkema with 11 kills and 15 digs for her first double-double as a Warrior.

Sikkema was followed in kills by Reid with nine, Figueroa with seven and Tanasha Cooksey with six.

Vega, the reigning Sun Conference Setter of the Week, finished with 32 assists as well as 11 digs to obtain her second double-double in as many matches.

Defensively, Webber had four players with double-digit digs. In addition to Sikkema and Vega, Kiersten Tisdale would lead the team with 21 digs, and Figueroa added 10.

The closest Webber would come to winning a set in match two would come in the second set. Tied at 6-6, four straight attack errors from Viterbo would boost Webber to a 10-6 lead. Later in the set, the V-Hawks would go on a 4-0 run of their own to regain the lead at 15-13. The Warriors would battle back but were unable to keep up and would drop the set 25-21.

Reid would finish with a team-high six kills in match two, followed closely by Cooksey with five. Vega would get yet another double-double with 10 assists and 10 digs. Tisdale finished with 11 digs and Figueroa again had 10.

"I am extremely proud of our grit today," spoke Head Coach Matt Geer. "Being the first team this season to take a set off of this nationally-ranked Viterbo team speaks volumes to how I believe we will progress this season. I do not look at this as a loss, I look at it as potential."

Next up, the Warriors will travel to West Palm Beach, Florida, to participate in the Keiser Volleyball Invitational this Thursday, August 19. Webber will match up against Indiana University East at 2 p.m. and Taylor University at 4 p.m.