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Box Score 2 DAYTON, Tenn.—In their first day of competition at the Bryan Bash, the Fire downed Asbury University before emphatically sweeping tournament host Bryan College.
In a match in which neither team held more than a seven point lead at any point, Southeastern rallied after dropping the first set to Asbury, to win 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-19).
Because the competition was so tightly contested, momentum swings, runs, and the use of timeouts were of the utmost importance.
The Fire fell behind early in the first set, but used a 7-3 stretch which included three of
Kaitlin Boyd's eight kills to even the score at 16. Despite Southeastern's efforts, Asbury, behind Kayla Morlan and Ashlee Rose's seven combined kills, took a 1-0 advantage.
In set two, SEU jumped out to a 12-9 lead thanks to Eagles' errors. Asbury committed 12 errors in the frame, and 38 in the contest, compared to the Fire's 18 total errors. With the set tied at 21 and Southeastern desperately desiring to avoid going down 0-2 in the match, the team called a well-used timeout. The Fire then won four out of the next five rallies, taking the game by a score of 25-22 and evening the match at one.
Errors weren't the only category that the Fire dominated. SEU out-hit the Eagles .237 to .020, registered 12 more kills, and tallied 11 more total blocks than their opposition. Six Southeastern players tallied at least two assisted blocks.
The front line also got many touches on attack attempts during points that Southeastern didn't record blocks, easing the workload of the back line.
Keniah Rivera Santiago led the Fire in digs for the sixth time this season with 27.
Southeastern took their largest lead of the day with a 15-8 run to begin the third set. During the stretch, the Fire recorded three of their 13 blocks. Asbury stormed back with an 8-3 run of their own, eventually tying the set at 23. Two of
Kiana Sawtelle's 11 kills, one a hard-hit ball to the face of an Eagles' defender and the other a well-placed pass to the back left corner of the court, allowed the Fire to take a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-23 third set victory.
Southeastern was able to ice the competition in the fourth set after taking an early four point advantage. The Fire didn't look back.
Fueled by the attack of freshmen
Kaity Reed and
Emily Boehlein, who finished the match with 13 and eight kills, respectively, Southeastern sealed the victory with a 25-19 win in the fourth game.
Boyd added a .389 hitting percentage on the day, while Boehlein contributed with seven assisted blocks and a .333 hitting percentage.
For the Eagles, Morlan ended the day with a team-high 11 kills and a match-high .450 hitting percentage, while Rose killed eight attempts on a .313 hitting percentage in a losing effort.
In the second fixture of the day, the Fire swept Bryan College in their own building by scores of 25-16, 28-26, and 25-17.
Southeastern started the match by winning the first four points. Reed, who recorded 13 kills in the contest to go with her ten digs, had four kills just 17 points into the competition. The freshman outside hitter added four service aces. This offense allowed the Fire to pull away in the first frame and prevail 25-16.
Things were a little different in the second set. SEU committed ten attack errors, which kept the Lions in the game. The two teams were tied a total of ten times, seven times after the 15-15 mark. With the score even at 26, Sawtelle contributed back-to-back kills to seal the set and put the Fire up 2-0 in the match. Overall, Sawtelle registered 13 kills and 12 digs, notching her fourth time this season with at least ten kills and tens digs.
The Fire collected an impressive 18 kills with a .286 hitting percentage in the final set.
Kelsey Morton tallied six of her eight kills in the third game to close out the match for Southeastern 25-17.
Brooke Stowell led the Lions with nine kills and a .364 hitting percentage, while Mariah Dunlop added eight kills and nine digs for Bryan.
On Saturday, the Fire will take on the University of Pikeville at 10 a.m. and Bethel University at 2 p.m. in the second day of action at the Bryan Bash.
