CONWAY, Ark. – The Ladies picked up their first two wins of 2018, beating Central Baptist (2-7) 25-12, 25-13, 25-17 in their first match of the day. In the nightcap, Centenary (2-5) used a big comeback in the fifth set to hand Hendrix its first loss of the season in six matches, 25-19, 25-18, 23-25, 21-25, 16-14 at the Warriors Classic in Conway, Arkansas, on Friday (September 7).
In the first match of the day, the only deficit the Ladies faced against the Mustangs came at 1-0 in the third set. In the first set, Centenary scored the first eight points and led as much as 16-1. After a Central Baptist service error started the match, the Ladies scored the next seven points on kills thanks to the seniors. With Hailey Lawson on serve, classmate Makenzie Shaw recorded a pair of kills. Shyann Pisano recorded 3-of-4 kills with Michaela Brantley adding the other successful shot.
A service error gave the Mustangs their first point.
Freshman Elizabeth Epley recorded an ace to jumpstart another run of eight unanswered. Two kills from Pisano, one each by Shaw and Epley, two aces from junior Marissa Sandoval, and a hitting error put the Ladies up 16-1.
Pisano led Centenary with nine kills and also had a .438 hitting percentage. Epley added eight kills on 15 swings and no errors for .533 hitting percentage. Sandoval contributed four aces in the match.
Set two saw Centenary race out to a 5-0 lead on freshman Rachel Demerjian's serve, three Central Baptist hitting errors, one Demerjian ace, and a Lawson kill. Centenary built a lead as big as 12 thanks to kills from Epley and freshman Alyssa Davis to end the set.
Demerjian finished the match with 19 assists.
Set three saw Central Baptist take its lone lead at 1-0. Centenary led 22-16, but finished the match with a 3-1 run. After both teams sided out, kills by Demerjian and Shaw ended the match.
Kelsy Knox led the Mustangs with eight kills.
In the second match of the day, Centenary won the first two sets lost the next two sets, survived a five-point deficit, and overcame a Hendrix match point. Down 11-6 in the fifth, Centenary scored six unanswered to take the lead. Three straight attack errors by Hendrix and a kill from freshman Lauren Kelley cut the deficit to one and forced a Warriors timeout. Another Kelley kill and a Demerjian ace put the visitors up. Hendrix forced match point at 14-13 on Lauren Dwyer's killsoff an overpass, but Centenary scored the final three points to end the night. Brantley tied the match on a kill, and a double call on a set by the Warriors gave the Ladies match point. Unlike the Warriors, Centenary put the contest away thanks to an assisted block by Davis and senior Shannon Orlopp.
Davis (22 kills and 15 digs) and Demerjian (45 assists and 12 digs) both recorded double-doubles, with Demerjian finishing three kills short of double-digits in that category (seven kills and no errors on 16 swings to hit .438).
Dwyer added a double-double (21 kills, 11 digs) to lead Hendrix.
Centenary closes out the weekend on Saturday (September 8) with a pair of matches against Central Baptist (10 a.m.) and Hendrix (2 p.m.)
