Box Score
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Southern Wesleyan volleyball bounced back from a loss in their last match to defeat Converse College by a score of 3-0 for the second time this year. The win is the 20th on the year for SWU, marking the fifth straight year the team has reached that number.
The Warriors used a .322 attack on the night and committed just one error in each of the first and second sets to overpower the Valkyries. SWU (20-8, 11-3 CC) put up 16 kills in the first set alone as the team put up 45 in the three set victory. The Warriors won by scores of 25-15, 25-14, 25-16.
Jacinta Hoffpauir led the team with 14 kills, tying a season-high that she's reached now on three occasions. The senior hit .591, topping the .500 mark for the first time all year. Cherilyn Ramsey led the defense with 16 digs and also recorded eight kills while hitting .316. Alysia Cruell had nine kills and a .391 attack percentage as Courtney O'Brien added 15 digs and two service aces.
Milica Stamenic also had two aces and recorded 10 digs. Megan Widener directed the offense with a game-high 39 assists and also recorded 13 digs for her 10th double-double of the season.
The Warriors had to fight off a slow start in the first set. Converse jumped out to a 7-4 lead but the Warriors rattled off nine straight to take a commanding 13-7 lead. After a brief run from the Valkyries cut the margin to three at 13-10, the Warriors reeled off four straight kills, two from Cruell, to pull away with a 17-10 lead, eventually winning 25-15.
SWU didn't have to worry about a slow start in the second, winning the first five points and holding a 13-3 lead before winning 25-14. The third was the most competitive for the longest as neither team led by more than three until SWU took a 15-11 lead. That marked the middle of a 6-0 run by the Warriors that saw them push the lead to 19-11 and cruise to the finish at 25-16.
The Warriors will wrap up the regular season this weekend, hosting Barton College on Senior Day on Friday. First serve is set for 7 p.m. The regular season concludes on Saturday against Mount Olive at 2 p.m. in Tysinger Gymnasium.
