GEORGETOWN, Texas – The Southwestern University Pirates volleyball team won on the second night of a back-to-back, defeating the Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) Saint in three sets at home.
Facing a strong serving team for a second consecutive night, the Pirates' defense mitigated the Saints' attack, limiting OLLU to just four aces for the match and under a .200 hitting percentage for all three sets, limiting them to just 23 kills on a .111 hitting percentage.
First year middle blocker Riley Brantley was on fire, leading the Pirates with 12 kills on just 17 attacks with no errors for a scorching, career-high .706 hitting percentage.
Brantley varied her swing patterns and placement, working up the middle on quick sets and swinging around behind the setter with misdirection. She attacked with power and finesse, sending the OLLU libero backwards with the force of one kill and finding the empty back corner with touch on another.
Sophomore Lauren Crabtree was more direct, overwhelming the Saints with power and showing her versatility with six kills, four digs, and three block assists.
Outside hitters Emma White and Elleanna McGown were instrumental in the Pirates' quick transitions from offense to defense, combining for 26 digs and 17 kills, working from the back and front row.
Ali Grona set the tone in the first set with back-to-back aces, attacking the OLLU libero with her serve; McGown closed the set with another ace.
The Pirates were tested in the second set, tied at 15-15 and leading 19-18 when McGown put some separation between the Pirates and Saints, serving back-to-back aces to spark a 6-3 run to closeout the set.
OLLU opened the third set on a big run, getting out to an 11-5 lead. From there, the Piraets reeled off 14 straight points with Brantley at the serve, getting two aces over that stretch to blow the game wide open.
With the win, the Pirates improve to 10-6 on the season. They'll have the rest of the week off in preparation for a home conference game against Texas Lutheran University on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 6:00 p.m. Southwestern will honor seniors Landri Brown and Jazmin Howard for senior night.
