MONTGOMERY, Ala.- The Southeastern University volleyball team dazzled in day one of competition at the Faulkner University Invitational. The Fire opened the afternoon with a 3-0 handling of Tennessee Wesleyan University before downing host school Faulkner 3-1 in the night cap.
GAME ONE:
The Fire battled under pressure in a pair of tight opening sets versus the Bulldogs. SEU took advantage of a 6-2 run midway through the first set to create some breathing room with an 18-13 advantage. Southeastern was able to capitalize on nine TWU errors in the first set, including five service errors, to ultimately come away with the 25-22 advantage.
SEU had to rally down 20-16 to TWU in the second set. The Fire went on a 5-0 run to retake the lead 21-20 in the set, a run that included back-to-back service aces by freshman
Alexandra Postlethwaite. A block by
Jordyn Stiger and
Danielle White cemented the set for Southeastern 25-23.
Freshman
Sandy Cao helped put the match on ice for the Fire in the third set, notching seven of her match-high 15 kills in the third set. After the Fire trailed 10-5 in the set, SEU went on an incredible 18-1 run to take a 23-11 advantage, eventually closing out the match with a 25-14 set final. The Fire hit an incredible .412 in the final set
Cao was joined in double-digit kills for SEU by senior
Julia Alves, who had 10. Â Postlewaite had 33 assists.
Holly Kaczmarek led Southeastern in digs at 16.
GAME TWO:
The Fire overcame their highest error total of the match in the opening set with seven miscues, due partly in fact to the Eagles committing seven errors of their own in the first set. SEU battled to take the opening set 25-19.
The Eagles took their first lead over SEU in the second set when they pulled ahead of the Fire 14-13. From that point on, there were a total of 14 ties or lead changes in the set, but ultimately it was Faulkner edging out the Fire 25-22 to even things up 1-1.
SEU responded fiercely in the third set, opening things up on a 7-0 run. The Fire cleaned up their miscues in the set, only committing two attacking errors, as the Eagles were only to bring the set to within a four-point margin.
Cao proved to be the clutch attacker for SEU in the final set once again, as she recorded eight kills in the fourth set. Faulkner looked to be on the cusp of forcing a fifth set, as the Eagles led the Fire 20-17. However, Southeastern responded with a 5-1 run to regain the advantage 22-21. With the set tied 23-23, the Eagles committed consecutive errors that proved costly, as the Fire won the set 25-23 to clinch the victory.
Southeastern is back in action in Montgomery tomorrow for a pair of matches. The Fire take on the University of Mobile at 10:00 a.m. eastern, followed by William Carey University at 2:00 p.m. eastern.
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