NATCHITOCHES, La. – Despite dropping the first set of the match, the University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team came back to win it in four sets against Northwestern State on Saturday afternoon in Prather Coliseum.
"We had a slow start but then came back and really picked up our level of play across the board," said head coach Samantha Dabbs Thomas. "Our team has to learn that in our conference we're all fighting for a spot in the top eight so every match every team is coming to play."
"Bethany [Clapp] and Nailah [Landon] did a great job offensively for us. Macy Sumrall came in and controlled our back row with some big-time digs. Overall great turnaround from a slow start."
Northwestern State (2-8, 0-8 SLC) started the first set on a 9-3 run to quickly pull ahead. UIW (3-7, 3-5 SLC) put away three kills between three NSU attack errors to close the gap, 11-10. Eventually, the Cardinals tied the game twice at 14 and 15, but the Demons responded with a 5-0 run to build the gap and eventually win the first set 25-23.
The Demons got ahead early in the second set opening with a 4-1 run. NSU's largest lead midway through the set, 16-11, was snapped by back-to-back errors, with Chase Jackson adding two kills.
Eventually the red and black found its groove with three consecutive kills coming from Allison Palmi, Nailah Landon and Bethany Clapp, to tie up the score, 19-19. Then just as NSU tried to pull ahead, a kill by Clapp followed by a service ace by Gonzaba tied up the game 22-22. UIW closed out the set on a 3-0 run to claim the second set.
The Demons got on the board first in the third set off an 8-3 run. It wasn't until Landon's kill that was too short for the NSU defense that UIW was able to take its first lead of the set, 19-18. Landon contributed two more kills in the 6-2 run to claim the set for the Cardinals.
NSU's only lead in the final set was off the first point scored, but UIW took control from there. It was three back-to-back kills by Clapp that were unstoppable, that built the significant gap for UIW to come away with the 25-18 win in the fourth set and the match.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals end their six-game road trip at New Orleans on Thursday, March 18 and at Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, March 20.
FOLLOW ALONG
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