Lakeland, FL – The Webber International Women's Volleyball team traveled to Southeastern University to take on the Fire in The Furnace Wednesday night. Despite their best efforts, the Warriors dropped the SUNC match to the Fire 3-0.
The Warriors started out the first set strong, as Delanie Johnson and Savanna Wilhite picked up kills to give Webber an early 3-2 lead. Webber and Southeastern were tightly contested throughout the first set, as neither team was able to take more than a two point lead for a majority of the set. Jaizah Anderson, Bailey Sikkema, and Nadia all picked up kills to give the Warriors an 8-7 lead. Teodora Ranitovic went to the back line and delivered a service ace to give Webber more of a lead, 9-7. After the Fire tied it up again, a kill from Sikkema and an error from the Fire gave Webber another two point lead. Reid and Wilhite picked up kills to preserve that lead 13-11. After tying the game at 13, Webber and Southeastern would go back and forth trading points. Anderson, Sikkema, and Reid all picked up kills to give Webber a one point cushion, 18-17. The Fire proceeded to go on a four-point run, taking the lead and keeping it for the rest of the set. Wilhite, Johnson, and Sikkema all picked up kills, but the Warriors ultimately dropped the first set 25-22.
The Warriors wuickly found themselves in a hole in the second set, as two kills from Johnson and one from Cintia Lorena were all the Warriors could muster in the early part of the set, falling behind 11-3. Multiple Fire errors and a kill from Reid droped the Warrior deficit to six. Rylee Bolser and Reid each grabbed a kill to keep the Fire lead at eight. Although the Warriors were down by a large amount, there was no quit in the team. Kills from Johnson, Lorena, Reid, and Wilhite kept the Warriors down by eight 22-14. The Warriors were able to grab six more points as Reid, Lorena, and Johnson all picked up kills as well as a combination block from Wilhite and Johnson. 20 points was all the Warriors were able to get as Southeastern took set 2 25-20.
Webber started set 3 similarly to set 1. The Warriors and Fire sat tied at 4-4, thanks in part to kills from Sikkema and Ranitovic as well as a service ace from Reid. Southeastern proceeded to go on a 14-1 run, to go up an unprecedented 18-5 score. The Warriors did not give up however, as along with two errors from the Fire, Reid and Lily Arnold picked up kills to bring the score to 20-9. An error from the Fire and a kill from Sikkema dropped the Warrior deficit to single digits, 20-11. The Fire were able to get to match point following a 4-1 run with Ranitovic picking up another kill along the way to make it 24-12. Ranitovic picked up one more kill before two kills from Sikkema and an error from the Fire brought the score to 24-16. The Fire took the last point of the set to take it 25-16, and win the match 3-0.
The Warriors were led by Reid with nine kills, while Johnson and Sikkema both added eight. Ana Clara Araujo led with 18 assists, with Paysee crow adding 14. Crow led the team with 11 digs, with Bailey Berger right behind her grabbing nine.
The Warriors will be back in action on Saturday October 21st when they take on Crooked Lake Rivals Warner University at the Turner Athletic Center.
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