Babson Park, FL – It was Senior Night on Jessica Costanzo Court as Webber honored Isa Alvarez, Vivianne Cancio, Kaylee Hunt, Alanys Rodriguez, and Anna Morton for their contributions to the team. After the festivities, the Webber International University Women's Volleyball team battled back to take the third set and extend the match, but visiting New College of Florida closed strong to earn a 3–1 Sun Conference victory on Wednesday night inside the Sabbagh Athletic Center (25–13, 25–12, 23–25, 25–21).
New College controlled the opening two sets behind a hot offense and a big blocking presence at the net. The visitors hit .483 in the first and .345 in the second while turning long serving runs into separation, using 11 total service aces and 12 team blocks on the night. Webber flashed its own firepower in spurts, with early kills from Hailey Mull and Kaylee Hunt in set one and a quick 3–1 start in set two, but NCF answered with multiple runs behind Jayleen Santiago and Soraya Nacero to take a 2–0 lead in the match.
The Warriors responded in gritty fashion in the third set. After an early NCF push, Webber settled in behind its block and serve, recording four aces and four blocks in the frame. Middle blocker Raeann Savage provided an instant spark off the bench with key kills and touches at the net, while Mull, Hunt, and Kalyn Morgan each chipped in timely swings to keep the set tight through 16–16. A late stretch featuring a Naylim Andrews service ace and kills from Anna Morton and Morgan helped the Warriors push in front, and Webber closed out the 25–23 win by forcing back-to-back New College attack errors to extend the match.
Set four turned into a true back-and-forth battle. New College raced out to a 4–0 start, but Webber answered with a 5–1 response capped by kills from Mull and Hunt to tie things at 5–5. From there, neither side led by more than three until the final points, as Morgan, Hunt and Mull continued to find the floor and Savage added another kill to bring the Warriors within 21–21. The Mighty Banyans, however, had one more run left, using a service ace and a pair of late kills from Santiago and Nacero to close on a 4–0 spurt and seal the set, 25–21.
Offensively, Hunt paced Webber with 13 kills, adding eight digs, an ace and a solo block for a team-high 15.0 points, while Mull produced 11 kills, two aces and 14.5 points on the outside. Morgan rounded out a balanced Warrior attack with nine kills and a team-best 15 digs, and Savage supplied three kills and three block assists in an energetic front-row performance. Setter Alanys Rodriguez directed the offense with 26 assists and 10 digs for a double-double, while libero Alejandra Aponte anchored the back row with a match-high 24 digs and an ace. As a team, Webber finished with 41 kills, 70 digs, five aces and five total blocks, but was edged statistically by New College's .278 hitting percentage and 11–5 advantage at the service line.
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Warrior Athletics. Please visit www.webberathletics.com. Follow us on Twitter- @WebberAthletics, Instagram- @Webber_Athletics, and Facebook by searching Webber International University Athletics.