MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.—Southeastern faced a pair of NAIA National Tournament teams during the St. Thomas Invitational, ultimately dropping both matches despite the young squad hanging in both matches.
The Fire took the first set from Olivet Nazarene in a 3-1 loss and was on the short end of a 3-0 match against No. 3 Midland University.
Southeastern (1-5) got off to a fast start against Olivet Nazarene, winning the first three rallies and led by as many as six using a 4-0 run to go up 13-7. A kill by
Sandy Cao and a service error gave the Fire a 25-22 win in the first.
Cao had six of her match-best 18 kills in the first set. The freshman posted a double-double effort with 14 digs and finished with a .357 attacking percentage.
After being held to a .146 team attacking percentage in the first, ONU bounced back by hitting .300 in a 25-20 second set win then had 18 kills in a 25-22 win.
A 7-2 run in the third by the Fire gave them a 23-18 lead and had five set points leading 24-19, but the Tigers answered with three aces, two blocks, and two kills to win the final set 26-24.
Grace Petty also registered a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs.
Holly Kaczmarek led the back row with a match-high 28 digs.
Alexandra Postlethwaite had 40 assists to lead all players.
Midland, less than four months removed from playing for the NAIA National Championship against Missouri Baptist grabbed the first set from the Fire by the count of 25-15 after holding the Fire to just nine kills and registered 15 of their own.
Southeastern bounced back in the second, rallying from a 10-4 deficit to take a 23-21 lead late. An attack error and a block allowed the Warriors to escape with a 28-26 win in the second. The Warriors returned to form in the third, landing 17 attacks for kills against just two errors on 46 swings in a 25-17 win.
Cao again led the offense with 12 kills. Petty had a team-best 16 digs with Kaczmarek adding 15 and Postlethwaite led the way with 27 assists.
The Fire return to action next Friday at the Faulkner Invitational.
