Spartanburg, SC – Southern Wesleyan fell to the Converse Valkyries on Thursday evening in a 3-0 final.

The Warriors collected 30 kills in the loss to the Valkyries with Amber Bass leading the team with 12 kills.  She was followed by Ashlyn Holford with 11 kills.  Ashley Sexton recorded 27 of the 29 assists Southern Wesleyan collected on Thursday evening.  Bass had the lone ace for the Warriors.  The Warriors collected 57 digs with Jesse Soles recording 17 of them.  Southern Wesleyan had five blocks.


 
Match Vitals

Final: Converse 3, Southern Wesleyan 0
                Set One: Converse 25, Southern Wesleyan 16
                Set Two: Converse 25, Southern Wesleyan 19
                Set Three: Converse 26, Southern Wesleyan 24

Records: Southern Wesleyan (1-17 / CC 0-14) Converse (4-18 / CC 4-9)


 
How It Happened

Set One
Southern Wesleyan took the first points of the first set of the evening as Emily Ellis and Ashlyn Holford blocked an attack by Maddie Mount.  A kill by Holford then allowed the Warriors to take a 2-0 lead.  However, the Valkyries countered to take the lead on kills by Anna Rabon.  The Warriors kept up their attacks with kills by Amber Bass, Holford and Ellis.  Converse would not let up, distancing themselves from the Warriors with aces by Savannah Ducote and Mackenzie Day to win the first set 25-16.

Set Two
Converse scored first in the second set as Ansley Hodge killed the ball, but Southern Wesleyan pushed forward to take a 3-1 point lead on a kill by Amber Bass.  A kill by Ashlyn Holford allowed the Warriors to maintain the lead in the second set.  The Valkyries countered with kills by Kiara Cannon, but the Warriors challenged right back with an ace by Bass and kill by Holford.  Converse went on to win the second set 25-19 on kills by Ansley Hodge and Kiara Cannon.

Set Three
An attack error by the Valkyries put the Warriors on the board first, but then a kill by Maddie Mount allowed Converse to tie the third set up 1-1.  However, kills by Amber Bass and Ashlyn Holford allowed the Warriors to push ahead 5-1.  Southern Wesleyan continued to push ahead with kills by Holford.  Converse would not go down quietly as Mount and Savannah Ducote put down kills.  The Valkyries continued to push closer to the Warriors with an assisted block by Anna Rabon and Mount, but the Warriors kept their advantage with kills by Holford, Bass and Emily Ellis.  Despite another kill by Holford, the Valkyries pushed ahead to win the final set 26-24.


 
What's Next

The Warriors will remain on the road on November 2 as they travel to Due West, SC to take on the Erskine Flying Fleet.  They will return to Historic Tysinger Gymnasium on November 5 as they welcome the Chowan Hawks to Central, SC for a 7pm first serve.  Southern Wesleyan will remain at home on November 6 to take on the Barton Bulldogs.