MARSHALL, Texas – The Ladies fell in straight sets, 25-8, 25-15, 25-15 to Wiley (4-0) in the first match of the East Texas Baptist tri-match Tuesday afternoon (September 4) in Marshall, Texas. In the nightcap, the Ladies rallied from a 19-16 deficit in the first set to take a 23-22 lead, but the Tigers scored three straight to take the set and won the final two as Centenary (0-5) fell to East Texas Baptist (2-4) 25-23, 25-17, 25-19
Wiley 3, Centenary 0
Senior Michaela Brantley led the Ladies with five kills and only one error on nine swings (.444) while freshman Rachel Demerjian added 18 assists.
Down 11-4 in set three, the Ladies scored three straight to pull within four. After a kill from senior Hailey Lawson, classmate Shannon Orlopp hit a pair of aces.
Wiley used a 11-1 edge on the block and a .375-.045 advantage in hitting to sweep the match. In the first set, Wiley trailed 2-1 before a 14-2 run put the Lady Wildcats up double-digits. In the run, Larissa Francisco added three kills, Tsevetlina Bozhanova added a pair of kills and an assisted block with Francisco, and a pair of kills by Alexia Souza helped Wiley build a 15-4 lead.
Francisco hit .500 for the match, tallying 16 kills and eight digs. Bozhanova added the double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs, while Souza contributed 38 assists.
The Ladies return to action Tuesday night, September 4, when they play their first road match of the season against East Texas Baptist. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
East Texas Baptist 3, Centenary 0
Down 19-16 in set one, Centenary scored four straight to take the lead. After a kill from freshman Lauren Kelley, two attack errors tied the set. A kill from Brantley put the Ladies in front. Up 23-22, the Tigers struck back to take set one with kills from Bailey Byas and Sydney Lopez. A Byas-Annie Harris block gave the home team set one.
Senior Shyann Pisano and freshman Elizabeth Epley both had 10 kills, while Epley hit .556 for the match (no errors on 18 swings. Demerjian added her third double-double in five matches this season, finishing with 11 digs and a career best 33 assists.
Lopez led the Tigers with 20 kills and 17 digs. Elyse Shaw contributed 26 assists and 11 digs. East Texas Baptist closed out the match by hitting .488 (20 kills and no errors on 41 swings) in the third set en route to a .366-.220 edge in the match.
Centenary returns to action this weekend for a quartet of matches at Hendrix. The Ladies take on Central Baptist and the host Warriors once each on Friday and Saturda