Central, SC – Southern Wesleyan fell to the UNC Pembroke Braves on Saturday afternoon in a 3-1 final score.
The Warriors had 46 kills in the loss to the Braves. Kaylon Chapman led the team with 13 kills. Behind her, Briley Wolff picked up nine kills and Sarah Mitchell had seven. Of the 43 assists in the match, Amiyah Spann had 21 assists and Lily Clarkson had 16.
Defensively, Southern Wesleyan had 79 digs with Alexxis Wader leading the team with 22. Faith Paxton had 17 digs. The Warriors had seven blocks. Kaylon Chapman led the team with five blocks in the match.
Match Vitals
Set One: Southern Wesleyan 28, UNC Pembroke 26
Set Two: UNC Pembroke 25, Southern Wesleyan 18
Set Three: UNC Pembroke 25, Southern Wesleyan 17
Set Four: UNC Pembroke 25, Southern Wesleyan 16
Records: Southern Wesleyan (9-10 / CC 7-8) UNC Pembroke (18-7 / CC 13-3)
How It Happened
Set One
The Warriors attacked early on in the opening set as Kaylon Chapman and Briley Wolff each got the ball down for kills. Addie Decker went on the attack for the Braves, but Chapman was there to block her attack on the net. UNC Pembroke fought back, but the Warriors would not back down as a kill by Ainsley Stovall and then an assisted block by Sarah Mitchell and Megan Gilliland allowed the Warriors to take a 7-6 point lead. Decker looked to block Chapman's next attack, but an error on the block allowed Chapman to pick up the kill. The Braves would not relent as Savannah Whaley and Alexandria Mills blocked the next several attacks made by the Warriors. Mitchell collected a pass by Lily Clarkson and got the ball down for a kill. The Braves pressed on, but kills by Briley Wolf and Chapman allowed the Warriors to take set one in a 28-26 final.
Set Two
A series of attack errors allowed the Braves to claim the first points of the second set. However, the Warriors answered with a kill by Elise Fulgham and a block by Kaylon Chapman to tie the set up at two. Southern Wesleyan pressed on as Briley Wolff got the ball past UNC Pembroke for a kill. A couple kills off the hands of Megan Gilliland allowed the Warriors to take a two point lead. However, Abby Peduzzi got the ball in for several more kills to allow the Braves to take back the lead. The Warriors remained in striking distance as Sarah Mitchell got the ball in for a kill. Deorri Gaines and Savannah Whaley got the ball in for kills to give the Braves a 25-18 point victory.
Set Three
The Braves charged out of the gate in set three as Addie Decker got in a kill and Abby Peduzzi served up an ace. A kill off the hands of Sarah Mitchell put the Warriors on the board. UNC Pembroke would not relent as Ava Fadool got the ball past Southern Wesleyan for a kill. Peduzzi went on the attack once again, but Mitchell was there to block her attack. The Braves distanced themselves further from the Warriors with kills by Peduzzi and Decker. Despite a couple more kills by Kaylon Chapman, the Warriors dropped set three to the Braves in a 25-17 final.
Set Four
A kill by Abby Peduzzi allowed the Braves to claim the first point of the final set. However, the Warriors quickly answered with kills by Kaylon Chapman and Ainsley Stovall. Stovall went on the attack once again, but this time Deorri Gaines blocked her attack on the net. Alexandria Mills got in a kill, but a kill by Briley Wolff kept the Warriors within one. Another kill by Decker jump started a five point run for the Braves that ended with an ace by Emily Collings. The Warriors looked to go on the attack again as Wolff got down yet another kill. However, the Braves claimed the final set in a 25-16 final off a kill by Ava Fadool.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan travel to Due West, SC to take on the Erskine Flying Fleet on October 23 before traveling on to Spartanburg, SC on October 27 to take on the Converse Valkyries. On October 30, the Warriors will travel to Franklin Springs, GA to take on the Emmanuel Lions.
