BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Centre volleyball team got off to a hot start and then made a ferocious comeback to push the Hendrix Warriors to the brink in the SAA Tournament Quarterfinals, but the Warriors ultimately prevailed in a five-set thriller.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Centre dominated the opening set, using a 7-0 run with a pair of aces from
Peyton Vacala to take the lead and keep it. The Colonels would later add another run of eight straight points to cruise to a 25-11 win as
Rylee Bledsoe put home the final kill.
- The Warriors rebounded in the next two sets, scoring the first ten points in the second set and matching Centre's 25-11 score, and then holding on in the third set for a 25-16 win.
- The fourth set was the closest one throughout as neither team led by more than four points at any point in the set. The score was tied 14 different times as the Colonels tried to hold Hendrix at bay, and an ace from Bledsoe provided the final margin in a dramatic 25-23 victory as Centre extended the match.
- Hendrix jumped out to a 9-6 lead in the decisive fifth set. The Colonels cut the lead to 11-10 on a block from Bledsoe, but could not get over the hump as the Warriors scored the final four points to take the match with a 15-10 win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- For the third time in as many weeks, Bledsoe finished with a new career high in kills, this time recording 13 in her final game as a Colonel.
Alice Rodgerson and
Katie Hall each finished with double digit kills.
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Meredith Phillips led all players with 40 assists.
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Peyton Vacala finished with a game high 36 digs in her final contest as fellow seniors
Bailey Vernon and Bledsoe added 22 and 11, respectively.
- The Colonels finished with 12 blocks compared to the Warriors' ten, led by five from Hall and four each from Bledsoe and
Aby Dallas.
