Rome, GA – Southern Wesleyan fell on the road to the Shorter Hawks on Wednesday evening in a 3-0 final score.
The Warriors picked up 28 kills with both Gracie Wilson and Megan Gilliland leading the team with five kills apiece. Amiyah Spann recorded 10 of the 22 assists. Five different Warriors picked up service aces in the match.
Southern Wesleyan had 66 digs in the match with Angel Jimenez leading them with 18. Faith Paxton had 15 digs, and both Katie Fulton and Michaela Andress had 12. The Warriors blocked 14 attacks. Gracie Wilson had four blocks. Wilson was followed by Trinity Gibson, Megan Gilliland and Michaela Andress with three.
Match Vitals
Set One Final: Shorter 26, Southern Wesleyan 24
Set Two Final: Shorter 25, Southern Wesleyan 22
Set Three Final: Shorter 25, Southern Wesleyan 20
Records: Southern Wesleyan (4-6 / CC 1-3) Shorter (8-8 / CC 3-2)
How It Happened
Set One
The Hawks of Shorter went on the attack early on in the first set off a kill by Emily Crocker. Gracie Wilson and Megan Gilliland got up above the net to block Crocker's next attack to put the Warriors ahead. Their lead was short lived as kills by Crocker and Caroline Sivills allowed Shorter to regain the lead. Southern Wesleyan fought back with a kill by Angel Jimenez. Katie Fulton dumped the ball over the net to put the Warriors ahead by three. However, the Hawks went on a run to tie the first set back up 16-16. Brielle Wood served in an ace to put the Hawks on top, but a kill by Angel Jimenez tied the set up once again. Shorter pushed on to claim the first set in a 26-24 final score.
Set Two
Southern Wesleyan struck quickly in the second set as Gracie Wilson collected a pass from Katie Fulton and drilled the ball down for a kill. However, back-to-back kills by Caroline Sivills allowed the Hawks to take the lead. Megan Gilliland drilled the ball down for a kill, and then Trinity Gibson and Michaela Andress went up to block the next attack by the Hawks. Southern Wesleyan took the lead on kills by Andress and Karson Haley. Caroline Sivills would not relent her attacks on the net as she picked up two more kills to allow the Hawks to tie the set up 9-9. The Warriors pressed on as Gracie Wilson served up an ace and then both Megan Gilliland and Katie Fulton put down kills to give them a three point lead. The Hawks and the Warriors exchanged the lead several more times as they battled it out for the second set victory. Shorter would take the second set in the end as a kill by Audrey Brooks gave them a 25-22 point victory.
Set Three
Micheala Andress and Gracie Wilson blocked the first attack of the third set. Katie Fulton followed with an ace. However, Shorter pushed on with kills by Emily Crocker and Caroline Sivills. Another kill by Crocker allowed the Hawks to extend their lead to five points. Southern Wesleyan stopped the Hawks run there as a kill by Trinity Gibson and an assisted block by Karson Haley and Gibson allowed the Warriors to come back to within two points of the Hawks. Amiyah Spann served up an ace to tie the set up. Shorter would not relent as Sivills and Crocker each came up with several more kills. Despite kills by Mikaylah Hutton and Megan Gilliland, the Warriors fell in the final set against the Hawks 25-20.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan returns to Historic Tysinger Gymnasium for a three game homestead begining this weekend. They will host the Young Harris Mountain Lions on October 11 at 6pm and then the Belmont Abbey Crusaders on October 12 at 2pm. The Warriors will wrap up the homestead on October 15 as they welcome the Emmanuel Lions to Central, SC for a 6pm match. Southern Wesleyan will then hit the road to Charlotte, NC where they will take on the Lees-McRae Bobcats on October 17.
