HOUSTON — Southwestern got strong performances from its two all-conference players and a balanced offensive attack to hand the University of St. Thomas Celts a pair of losses in conference play.
"Winning the doubleheader at St. Thomas was a really important signal to our athletes that their hard work and effort is worth it," head coach Don Flora said. "Beating a quality defensive team like St. Thomas twice in one day is a tall task, but our balanced offense prevailed."
Match 1 - Southwestern 3, St. Thomas 2 (22-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-11, 15-13)
Riley Brantley led the Pirates with 17 kills on an efficient .368 hitting percentage and two block assists for 18 points in a back and forth match in which both teams alternated wins until Southwestern claimed the final two.
St. Thomas had a balanced attack with six hitters scoring at least five kills and not a single attacker posting more than nine. The Southwestern defense made them work for each one, recording seven solo blocks and 89 digs, led by Ali Grona's 22, holding the Celts to a .132 hitting percentage.
Southwestern posted double-digit kills in all five sets and was particularly effective in the second and fourth sets with 18 and 12 kills and hitting percentages of .395 and .333.
Katelyn Whitehead and Lauren Crabtree set the table with 30 and 22 assists, respectively, adding 13 and 14 digs to each finish with a double-double. Alex Grooms and Emma White each finished with 10 kills. Crabtree had nine kills, finishing one shy of a triple-double.
The Pirates scored the final three points of the fifth sets, getting a kill from Crabtree, a St. Thomas attack error, and a Grooms kill to close the match.
Match 2 - Southwestern 3, St. Thomas 1 (25-23, 25-18, 22-25, 25-18)
Lauren Crabtree showcased the all-around game that made her an all-conference player last season, posting her fifth career triple-double with 11 kills on a team-high .321 hitting percentage, 20 assists, and 17 digs with an ace and a block assist to lead the Pirates in a four-set victory over St. Thomas.
Southwestern also got a team-high 16.5 points each from Alex Grooms and Emma White. Grooms finished the match with a career-high 15 kills, a solo block, and a block assist. White picked St. Thomas apart with her serves, scoring five aces to go with 11 kills and a block assist.
The Pirates held St. Thomas to 36 kills on a 0.064 hitting percentage, getting a match-high 35 digs from Ali Grona, four solo blocks, and six block assists.
"Riley continues to get good swings and be terminal with each set she gets," Flora said. "Our setters had good balance all day to keep St. Thomas off balance. It was good to see Alex Grooms and Emma White handle the attack load in the second match today."
Southwestern improves to 3-3 with the wins, with all matches occurring in conference play. St. Thomas drops to 5-3. The Pirate will return home to host Texas Lutheran next Friday in a doubleheader.
