LAKELAND, Fla.-- Coming into the match, Southeastern needed a conference win badly, which is exactly what they got after sweeping the Gyrenes in straight sets (25-16, 25-18, 25-11).
In the first set, the Fire held the Gyrenes to only eight kills, while Ave Maria equaled that number of errors in the game. Though Ave Maria led the set 12-11, the Fire stormed back behind three kills and two blocks by Uche Kojo. Southeastern, who had a total of 12 blocks in the contest, went on an 8-2 run to end the first set and win by a score of 25-16.
In the closest of the three sets, the Gyrenes jumped out to a 9-5 lead before Southeastern took over. The Fire, who out-hit Ave Maria in every set, outscored the Gyrenes 20-9 to rally to a 25-18 win. This stretch included a 7-0 run, fueled by Hannah Kinlaw's serving and Lydia Rooth's attack.
Throughout the entire match, but especially in the third set, the Fire dominated every aspect of play. The set started with a 13-3 run, led by seven straight serves by Jordan Wheeler, which featured three kills and a block by Rooth. Rooth had match-high 13 kills and a .480 hitting percentage to go along with her eight digs. The Fire used this hot start to close out the set 25-11 and win the match 3-0.
Though Lexy Smith recorded eight kills and a .353 hitting percentage to lead the Gyrene offense, overall, the Fire kept the NAIA's top hitter at bay.
Lindsey Fleming had 25 assists in the match, the same amount that the entire Ave Maria team had. She also added three kills on four attempts (two of which were set-winning kills), which gave her an unprecedented .750 hitting percentage.
The Fire will be back in action when they play on the road at Keiser University on October 1st at 2pm.
