GEORGETOWN, Texas – The Ladies got off to a fast start with a sweep of Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference newcomer Johnson & Wales (0-12, 0-3 SCAC) 25-11, 25-17, 25-19. In the nightcap against the host Pirates, Centenary (7-8, 3-2 SCAC) fell to Southwestern (5-5, 4-1 SCAC) 25-21, 25-18, 25-18 Saturday afternoon, September 22.
The Ladies went on big service runs near the end of each set to down the Wildcats in three. In the first set up 16-10, a service error brought senior Haley Lawson back to serve. A kill by freshman Alyssa Davis and a pair of errors put Centenary up 20-10. A Lawson ace and kill and two more Johnson & Wales errors put the Ladies won set point. Both teams sided out with errors and Centenary took a set lead.
With the Ladies clinging to a 16-15 lead in set two, sophomore Brittany Risner went on a service run. Davis recorded a kill to give the Ladies the serve. Kills by Davis and freshman Elizabeth Epley around a Wildcats' error forced a timeout. With Centenary up 20-15, three Johnson & Wales hitting errors around an Epley kill brought Centenary within two from taking a two set lead. Both teams split the last four points as Centenary took the two set lead.
Davis hit .370 for the match, hitting 14 kills and four errors on 27 swings. Epley contributed six kills on 18 attempts with no errors (.333).
With the final set tied at 17, an 8-2 run by the Ladies ended the match. Freshman Rachel Demerjian and Davis added kills. Both teams sided out and a Johnson & Wales error forced a Wildcats timeout. Johnson & Wales pulled within 21-19 on a kill, but the Ladies scored four points to end the match. Epley, Demerjian, and senior Michaela Brantley all had kills around a Wildcats error to end the third.
Demerjian finished the match with 21 assists and 10 digs for her ninth double-double of the season. Brantley added a trio of kills and blocks.
Centenary hit .216 for the match and held Johnson & Wales to .027.
Brooke Paxton led Johnson & Wales with 10 kills.
Centenary hung tough with Southwestern in set one of match two, but the home team was able to sweep the Ladies. In the first set with Centenary down 13-11, the Ladies scored five straight. After a kill from senior Shannon Orlopp, three Davis kills put Centenary up two. An Orlopp-Davis block punctuated the run.
Davis finished the first set with five kills and ended with 11 kills for the match.
Later in the set tied at 18, Southwestern scored three straight to take a lead for good. Kills from Ashley Whitlock and Alyssa Dooley gave the Pirates 20 points. Whitlock used a solo block and forced a Centenary timeout. Southwestern went on to win the first frame and the final two sets by seven to end the match.
Brantley finished the match with five kills and five blocks for the Ladies.
Dooley led Southwestern with 13 kills while Makenzie Mendez added 43 assists and 11 digs.
Centenary concludes the weekend on Sunday, September 23, against #2 ranked Colorado College and Dallas. Match time is 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.