LAKELAND, Fla. -- In another dramatic night inside The Furnace, No. 19 Southeastern volleyball showcased its resilience and star power, rallying past Webber International in a five-set classic, 19-25, 25-21, 25-27, 25-20, 17-15. The victory marked SEU's 20th win of the season, improving to 20-3 overall and 10-2 in Sun Conference play, while extending its home record to 9-1.
The Warriors came out swinging in the opening frame, hitting .333 while the Fire struggled to find rhythm offensively, committing 10 errors in the 25-19 loss. But the Fire regrouped quickly, with
Yarelis Lopez and
Laura Bonomi sparking the offense in the second set. Lopez found her stride on the outside with six kills in the frame, while Bonomi added timely swings and a service ace as SEU hit .190 to even the match at one set apiece.
The third set proved to be one of the night's most tense stretches, featuring 14 ties and seven lead changes. Despite a late surge by Southeastern, Webber held off multiple set points to edge out a 27-25 win, reclaiming the match lead. Unfazed, SEU responded with purpose in the fourth, turning up the pressure from the service line and at the net.
Jewel Carling and
Lucrezia Ceroni combined for key blocks, while Bonomi and Lopez continued to power the attack—combining for 13 kills in the frame—as the Fire forced a decisive fifth with a 25-20 win.
In the race to 15, Webber jumped out to a quick 5-0 advantage, forcing an early SEU timeout. Out of the break, the Fire's veterans took over. Lopez ignited the comeback with three kills in four points, and Bonomi followed with an ace and two kills to tie the set at 10. The Fire fended off two Webber match points before sealing the night on back-to-back kills by Lopez and Bonomi to complete the 17-15 comeback and cap the emotional five-set victory.
Both Bonomi and Lopez delivered all-time performances in the win—Bonomi finishing with 23 kills and 35 digs, and Lopez posting 21 kills and a career-high 36 digs, each recording a rare 20-kill, 30-dig double-double. Their consistency anchored an SEU defense that totaled 120 digs on the night.
Setter duo
Ashley Downs and
Haven Speer efficiently guided the offense with 35 and 28 assists respectively, while Carling added 10 kills and four blocks in the middle. Connors chipped in 22 digs from the back row, continuing her strong senior campaign.
Southeastern finished the match with 72 kills, seven aces, and 120 digs, overcoming early miscues to outlast a scrappy Webber team.
The Fire now turn their attention to the road, beginning a two-match stretch away from Lakeland to close out the regular season. Southeastern will travel to Lake Wales, Florida, to face Warner University on Wednesday, November 5 at 7 p.m.
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