Miami Gardens, FL - The Webber International Women's Volleyball team traveled to Miami Gardens to take on both the Florida Memorial Lions and the St. Thomas Bobcats. The Warriors went 1-1 on the day, taking the first match against the Lions while falling to the Bobcats.
Nadia Reid started the first set off with a service ace, as the Warriors got to work. A kill from Delanie Johnson had the Warriors up 5-2 early. The Lions were able to take a 6-5, but Webber responded with a run of their own, highlighted by a Kaylee Hunt service ace. Kills from Johnson, Hunt, and Savanna Wilhite helped the Warriors to a 17-10 lead. Both teams went back and forth before a service ace from Katie White gave the Warriors set point before Reid capitalized it with a kill, winning set one 25-16.
Webber again got out to a 5-2 lead in set two, with kills from Rylee Bolser and Hunt helping the Warriors get ahead. The Lions were again able to take a slim lead at 10-9, before a service error tied it in favor of the Warriors. Both teams traded points before Webber took the lead and stuck with it, going on a seven-point run to take a 19-13 lead. The Warriors only needed six more points and got them, as a kill from Hunt put Webber on top 25-21.
The third set was significantly tighter than the other two, as the Lions were able to take an 8-6 lead, despite an ace from Reid and kills from Hunt and Bolser. Webber was soon able to take a five-point swing to give them the lead at 12-9, after kills from Daphne Wibranowski, Johnson, and White. The Lions were able to tie it at 15-15, but the Warriors were able to keep the lead from there. Kills from Wibranowski and Reid paced Webber before a block from Wilhite and Johnson put the Warriors at match point. One final error from FMU gave the Warriors the set at 25-23 and the match 3-0.
Later on in the day, the Warriors traveled to St. Thomas to take on the #19 Bobcats. The first set had the Warriors down 4-0 early, before a kill from Johnson put Webber on the board. Points would be hard to come by for Webber as the Bobcats went on multiple runs. Johnson, Bolser, Hunt, and Wilhite all contributed to blocks but the Warriors lost the first set 25-7.
Webber took an early lead in the second set as a kill from Hunt put the Warriors up 5-3. Although the Bobcats retook the lead soon after, a seven-point run from the Warriors tied it at 14-14, highlighted by a kill from Abby Baxter and a service ace from White. A kill and ace from Wibranowski kept the Warriors within one 20-19. Kills from Johnson and Hunt helped Webber tie it at 23-23, but the Bobcats were able to take the set 25-23.
The third set started off hot for Webber, going up 6-1 with kills from Wilhite and Hunt, and blocks from Wilhite, Bolser, and Cintia Lorena. The Warriors took a six point lead with back-to-back kills from Bolser to make it 8-2. The Bobcats would not back down as Webber went down by one 10-9, before kills from Johnson and Wilhite gave Webber an 11-10 lead. Webber had their last lead at 12-11 with a kill from Reid. The Bobcats out scored the Warriors 14-7 at the end of the set, to win set three 25-19 and the match 3-0.
The Warriors will be back in action on Saturday, September 7th when they travel back to Miami Gardens to take on St. Thomas for the start of SUN Conference play.
