Babson Park, FL – The Webber International men's volleyball team faced a difficult challenge on Friday evening hosting the visiting Edward Waters University Tigers. The Tigers would take the first two sets from the Warriors in their own building, but the Warriors would show grit and determination to battle all the way back and take home another victory winning in five sets 3-2 over the Tigers.
The Warriors were challenged to a whole new level on Friday evening as they found themselves down 2-0 after two sets. The Warriors were met by a fiery force in the Tigers offensive attack with the Tigers racking up 32 kills through the first two sets.
The Tigers were able to build a lead up in the first two sets and ride that wave to a 25-21 set one win and 26-24 set two victory to take a 2-0 lead going into set three.
The Warriors had their backs against the wall going into set three and leaned into their offense to take an early 11-5 lead in the third set with three kills from
Kevin McCarthy, two from
Carson Barnes,
Thoralf Schmelzer, and Gunter Perea and one from
Ayden Keeter. Perea kept the Warriors lead in tact through the middle portion of the set with three more kills and Schmelzer helped finish off the Tigers in the third set with two final kills to win the set 25-17. The Warriors were looking to knot things back up at two sets a piece in set four and Schmelzer threw six more kills down on the Tigers defense to help lead the Warriors there. Schmelzer would finish the match with 23 kills, followed by Perea with 16 and Barnes with 15. The Warriors as a team racked up 68 kills and Keeter would be responsible for 59 assists on those kills, reaching a new season high for the assist man for the Warriors. Barnes would tally the last two kills for the Warriors in set four bringing the fourth set to a close with the Warriors climbing their way back in the match 25-18 to go to a deciding set five. The Warriors playing in set five for only the second time this season would get out to a fast start with some errors from the Tigers hitters and kills from Barnes, Perea, and Schmelzer forcing the first Tigers timeout of the set. Two more kills from Schmelzer and McCarthy would bring the Warriors lead to 10-5 and force the second timeout for the Tigers, but it would not stop the Warriors momentum. Perea would wrap the match up for the Warriors in a hard-earned victory over the Tigers taking set five 15-7 and the match 3-2.
The Warriors will have their senior day match in their last regular season game of the 2024 season tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 PM against Warner University in Babson Park, FL.
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