WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.- On opening day of the 2022 season, the Southeastern University volleyball team went 1-1 at the Chick-Fil-A Keiser Invitational with a 3-0 win over Morningside University and 3-0 loss against Cumberland University.
In match one, the Fire earned their first win and first sweep of the season as they defeated Morningside University by scores of 25-21, 25-23, and 25-23.
The Fire came out swinging as they would go up 10-0 on the Mustangs with three kills from
Chapel Cunningham and two from
Grace Petty. Despite the 10-point deficit, the Mustangs mounted a significant comeback as they would go on to take the eventual 17-15 lead after a seven-point run. After a Fire timeout, the Mustangs would lend the Fire five freebies and the 21-18 lead. Two more kills by Cunningham would aid the Fire to the 25-21 set one victory as the sophomore ended set one going 5-5 in kills.
Set two was a back-and-forth battle that saw no lead larger than three points. With a 6-6 score,
Ryanne VanWyk would sub on to serve and record back-to-back aces to give the Fire a two-point cushion. The Mustang freebies would again come into play late in the set after to attack errors and another kill by Petty gave the Fire the 20-17 lead. Three-consecutive kills by the Mustangs would again tie the set at 22 but kills by
Sylvia Liszewski and
Kennedy Jones would secure the 25-23 victory and 2-0 lead.
Set three saw the Mustangs take their largest lead of the match as they jumped out ahead 10-5 but three quick kills by
Brilynn Hallman would help the Fire close the gap as they tied the set at 13, beginning a five-point run that would give them the 17-13 lead. The Fire would go on to take set three 25-23 and secure the opening day sweep.
Game two saw the Fire drop the first set 25-21 after a back-and-forth battle that lasted until the Phoenix took the 17-12 lead and would hold the lead to take set one.
Kennedy Jones recorded seven kills in nine attempts in set one.
Jones kept the momentum into the second set as she would record three more early kills to put the Fire up 5-2. The Fire held the lead until an attack error gave the Phoenix the 12-11 lead but the Fire would regain the lead after a service ace by Jones and a kill by
Angelina Vaccaro. Back-to-back errors would end the second set for the Fire as they would fall behind 2-0 with a 25-22 loss.
The Phoenix would continue their success into the third set as they took down the Fire 25-14, securing the 3-0 sweep.
Jones concluded game two with 14 kills and Alex Postlethwaite registered 18 assists.
The Fire will next compete against the back-to-back national champions, Missouri Baptist, on Saturday at 10 a.m. as part of the STU Invitational.
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