COLUMBUS, Miss. – The Owls volleyball team closed the spring 2021 regular season at home against Belhaven University Tuesday night. The W had many bright spots in its final home match but could not convert them into a victory.
"The last regular season match didn't end as we wanted it to," began head coach Brooke Carter, "but from our first match in February to now, we have grown so much. We have become quicker and smarter on both offense and defense, and now it's just a mental game for us. Our biggest focus going into the weekend at Indianapolis will be a strong mental game. Once we can put the physical and mental together, we will be unstoppable!"
Match One (L, 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-22))
The W fell to the Blazers in 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-22) sweep in the first match Tuesday night.
The Owls fell victim to errors all night long, to lose ground on early leads and hitting at .170. Sophomore
Lacey Evans led all W players with eight kills in the match, while
Tori Weir and
Jadelyn Trice had seven and eight, respectively.
Karmen McCrory had a great night behind the line to tally a career-high three service aces. She also had a career-high 12 assists.
Leading the team in assists, freshman Cameron Johnson also had a career-high with 16 while collecting four digs.
On the ball's defensive side, Weir led the team in blocks with four, and
Briana Huerta-Ramirez led the team in digs with 14.
As a team, the Owls had 33 kills on 88 total attempts for a .170 hitting percentage.
Match Two (L, 3-0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-16)
The Owls accuracy decreased in match two, dropping to a .118 hitting percentage. Weir led in the effort with eight kills, while Iyana Canda and Trice had five and four, respectively. Trice also led in blocks with three.
McCroy stepped up as setter with a team match-high of 11 assists, and
Madison Suggs led in digs with 12.
The Owls will see an extended season at the AVCA Division III Women's Invitational Tournament on Friday, April 9, in Indianapolis. Their first opponent with be Elmhurst University at 10:00 a.m.
