Central, SC – Southern Wesleyan upset the Emmanuel Lions for the first time since 2017 in a 3-1 final score on Tuesday evening.
The Warriors totaled 48 kills on the evening with freshman Kaylon Chapman leading the team with 18. Ainsley Stovall also had double digits in kills as she recorded 10. Setting duties were split between Amiyah Spann and Katie Fulton, who recorded 20 and 19 assists respectively. Of the seven aces in the match, Calie Covey led the team with three. She was closely followed by Fulton with two, and both Spann and Chapman had single aces.
Defensively, Southern Wesleyan was able to accumulate 90 digs in the match. Four Warriors posted double digits with libero Calie Covey leading the team with 27. Faith Paxton, Katie Fulton and Kaylon Chapman each had 15 digs on the day. Southern Wesleyan was able to block 18 attacks by the Lions. Briley Wolff led the team with five blocks on the night. Both Megan Gilliland and Sarah Mitchell had four blocks.
Match Vitals
Set One Final: Southern Wesleyan 25, Emmanuel 20
Set Two Final: Emmanuel 25, Southern Wesleyan 18
Set Three Final: Southern Wesleyan 25, Emmanuel 22
Set Four Final: Southern Wesleyan 25, Emmanuel 17
Records: Southern Wesleyan (8-7 / CC 6-5) Emmanuel (11-6 / CC 9-2)
How It Happened
Set One
Emmanuel took the first point of the opening set as Ellie Jackson got a kill past the Warriors. However, the Warriors quickly answered as Amiyah Spann set the ball up to Briley Wolff. Wolff drove it down for a kill to tie the set up. The Lions went on a five point run as Jackson and Brianna Bigelow were able to get a couple of kills down, but the Warriors answered as Katie Fulton served up her first ace of the set. Kills by Ainsley Stovall and Megan Gilliland allowed the Warriors to tie the set up at 11 points each. Southern Wesleyan continued to counter Emmanuel's every attack at the net. Sarah Mitchell and Gilliland got up to block an attack by Natalie Wilson to give the Warriors the advantage. The Warriors would not back down as Gilliland and Mitchell blocked yet another attack by the Lions to allow Southern Wesleyan to take the first set in a 25-20 final.
Set Two
The Warriors charged out of the gate in the second set as Ainsley Stovall got in a couple of early kills. Karson Haley and Briley Wolff got the ball down for kills to extend the Warriors lead to 5-1. However, Emmanuel answered as a kill by Isabella Reyes kicked off an eight point run by the Lions to give them the lead. Haley and Wolff were able to block another attack by Reyes, but Emmanuel pushed on with a kill by Cailin Pritchard. The Warriors continued to fight as Megan Gilliland, Calie Covey and Stovall each got in kills. It was not enough as the Lions took a seven point lead on a kill off the hands of Brianna Bigelow. Despite several last minutes kills by Kaylon Chapman, the Lions prevailed to win the second set in a 25-18 final.
Set Three
Kaylon Chapman kicked off the third set for the Warriors as she put down a kill off a pass from Katie Fulton. Emmanuel challenged right back as Asia Queen served up an ace. Amiyah Spann set the ball up to Briley Wolff who got it right past the Lions' defense to allow the Warriors to tie the set up. The Lions regained their lead seconds later as Cailin Pritchard got down a kill, and then Madelyn Banton served up a couple of aces. The Warriors chipped away at Emmanuel's lead. Kaylon Chapman and Ainsley Stovall slammed down back-to-back kills and then Chapman served up an ace to put the Warriors within four. After a service error by the Lions, a kill by Kaylon Chapman allowed the Warriors to go on a five point rally to tie the set up at twenty. Chapman drilled another kill to the ground and then Katie Fulton served up an ace to push the Warriors past the Lions to claim the third set in a 25-22 final.
Set Four
Cailin Pritchard got in the first kill of the final set of the match. The Warriors would not relent as they carried their momentum from the third set onward to deter the Lions' attacks. Kaylon Chapman drilled the ball down past the Emmanuel defense yet again to tie the set up. The Warriors took the lead as Calie Covey served up an ace. Chapman got in a couple more kills to put the Warriors on top 9-6. The Lions attempted to fight back as Natalie Wilson went on the attack, but Briley Wolff and Chapman were there to block the attack. Ellie Moore got the ball down for a kill. Kills by Pritchard and Faith Kelly put the Lions within three. However, Southern Wesleyan would not relent as they let the momentum carry them past the Lions. Covey served up another ace. Ellie Jackson and Wilson went on the attack once again, but the Warriors thwarted their attacks as Briley Wolff, Megan Gilliland and Kaylon Chapman each blocked Emmanuel. The Lions got a couple more kills down, but it was not enough as Wolff drilled the ball down past the Emmanuel defense for a kill to give the Warriors a 25-17 point victory in the final set of the match.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan will hit the road to Ferrum, VA to take on the Ferrum Panthers on October 17 at 6:30 pm. They will then travel to Young Harris, GA on October 22 to take on the Young Harris Mountain Lions at noon. The Warriors will host the Lees-McRae Bobcats and Barton Bulldogs on October 24 and 25, respectively.
