Milledgeville, GA – The Warriors dropped their season opening match against the University of West Georgia Wolves on Friday afternoon in a 3-1 final score.

Southern Wesleyan totaled 39 kills in the match with Emily Ellis leading the team with 10.  Ellis was followed by Michaela Andress with eight kills and Gavrielle Elswick with six.  Senior setter Ashley Sexton led the team in assists with 16 with fellow senior Cara Martin following with 11.  Ellis and Andress each led the team with five aces.  Megan Gilliland posted three blocks.
 


 
Match Vitals
Set One Final: West Georgia 25, Southern Wesleyan 18
Set Two Final: Southern Wesleyan 25, West Georgia 18
Set Three Final: West Georgia 25, Southern Wesleyan 18
Set Four Final: West Georgia 25, Southern Wesleyan 16
Records: Southern Wesleyan (0-1) West Georgia (1-0)
 
 
 

How It Happened

Set One
West Georgia went on the attack early as they took a 6-1 point lead before Emily Ellis laid down a kill.  A second kill by Ellis put the Warriors to within four points of the Wolves.  Megan Gilliland killed the ball off a pass from Cara Martin to put the Warriors down 8-5.  Gavrielle Elswick got over the net to kill the ball and then back-to-back aces by Emily Ellis put the Warriors within one point.  West Georgia would not relent their attacks, but the Warriors stayed within five points of the Wolves on kills by Michaele Andress and Gracie Wilson.  The Wolves went on to claim the first set 25-18.
 
Set Two
Megan Gilliland kicked off the second set for the Warriors with a kill.  The Wolves countered but a second kill by Gilliland allowed the Warriors to keep the set tied up 2-2.  Aces by Micheala Andress extended the Warriors lead to three points.  Southern Wesleyan would not relent as Gilliland and Gavrielle Elswick blocked the ball to keep West Georgia from cutting into their lead.  Andress continued to put down the aces to extend the Warriors lead to 11-2.  Ashley Sexton passed the ball over to Emily Ellis for a kill that pushed the Warriors lead up to ten points.  Gracie Wilson and Gilliland got up to block another Wolves attack.  West Georgia fought back to within seven points on blocks by Zoe LaBreche and Sanai Young, however the Warriors maintained the intensity with kills by Michaela Andress to keep them on top.  A kill by Emily Ellis allowed the Warriors to take the second set in a 25-18 final.
 
Set Three
The Wolves took the first point of the third set off an ace by Ashley Barnes.  They pushed further ahead until Megan Gilliland killed the ball to put the Warriors on the board.  West Georgia maintained the attacks but an assisted block by Gilliland and Trinity Eichman allowed the Warriors to stop their attacks.  Emily Ellis and Michaela Andress each killed the ball to keep the Warriors within four points of the Wolves.  Southern Wesleyan continued to challenge as Gavrielle Elswick and Ellis each collected passes from Ashley Sexton and put down kills to put the Warriors down 17-10 to the Wolves.  Kills by Emma Ronaldson and an ace by Emily Ellis put the Warriors back within five points.  However, West Georgia prevailed as they claimed the third set in a 25-18.
 
Set Four
The Wolves took the first points of the final set of the match on kills by Zoe LaBreche and Marley Staats.  Emily Ellis and Michaela Andress countered with kills of their own to put Southern Wesleyan within four points of West Georgia.  The Warriors continued to attack as Angel Jimenez collected several kills.  However, a six point run by the Wolves allowed them to take a 16-9 point lead.  Despite two more kills by Jimenez and Andress, the Warriors fell in the final set in a 25-16 final.
 
 


 
What's Next

Southern Wesleyan will remain at the Bobcat Classic on September 2.  They will take on Albany State University at 11 am before returning to face the hosting Georgia College Bobcats at 5 p.m.  The Warriors will then take part in the Lion's Den Invitational on September 8-9 where they will take on the Wingate Bulldogs, Lee Flames and Shorter Hawks.