Babson Park, FL – The Webber International Women's Volleyball team hosted the Southeastern Fire in the Sabbagh Center Wednesday night. Despite the Warriors best efforts, the Fire walked away with a 3-0 victory.
Southeastern quickly jumped ahead in the first set, taking a 6-0 lead to start the match before the Warriors called a timeout. A combo block from Cintia Lorena and Rylee Bolser helped the Warriors get on the board, before a block from Teodora Ranitovic and Lorena brought them within four, 9-5. Southeastern would continue to extend their lead, scoring eight of the next 12 points, forcing the Warriors into another timeout, down 17-9. A kill from Bolser, a block from Lorena and two errors from the Fire brought the Warriors within four 17-14. SEU scored seven of the next eight points to get to set point, before two kills from Ranitovic, a service ace from Kiersten Tisdale, and a block from Nadia Reid pulled the Warriors within six, before the Fire took the final point of set 1, 25-19.
The Warriors were down early again in set 2, as the Fire took a 9-2 lead. The Warriors would not let this keep them down as they scored eight of the next 10 points. This run was highlighted by five straight points, with Reid picking up two kills, Bailey Berger getting a service ace, and blocks from Reid, Bolser, and Delanie Johnson. SEU would re-extend its lead to seven, taking a 19-12 lead before a combo block from Bolser and Bailey Sikkema helped the Warriors get within five 19-14. This would be the closest the Warriors got for the rest of the set, as Southeastern scored six of the next eight points to take set 2 25-16.
Set 3 was a tightly contested affair from the get go. A block from Sikkema and Lorena followed by a service ace from Berger had the Warriors down one 5-4 early on. The Fire tried to pull ahead but multiple errors from SEU as well as a service ace from Tisdale helped the Warriors tie the set at 8. The Fire got out to another three point lead, before kills from Ranitovic, Lorena, and Reid, in addition to errors from the Fire put the Warriors down one 17-16. The Warriors were finally able to take the lead late in set 3, outscoring SEU five to three thanks to kills from Reid, Sikkema, and Ranitovic. After the Fire tied it, another kill from Reid gave the Warriors their last lead of the set, as SEU outscored Webber four to one to take set 3 25-23 and the match 3-0.
Reid led the team in kills with seven, while Ranitovic and Sikkema added six apiece. Tisdale and Berger both had two services aces, and Paysee Crow led the team with 12 assists. Lorena added four blocks and Berger led the team in digs with 11.
The Warriors will be back in action on Saturday September 23rd when they take on their Crooked Lake Rivals, the Warner Royals.
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