September 23, 2023
WU Goes the Distance, Fall to Sea Beggars
By Francisco Claudio
As we've seen multiple times this season, the Westcliff women's volleyball team is made up of hard-working athletes who fight til the end.
That was displayed once again as the Warriors visited the Providence Christian Sea Beggars and took them all the way to five sets.
Westcliff had control during some crucial parts in the third set but ultimately fell: 25-21, 16-25, 26-22, 21-25, 15-10.
Although the Warriors were able to win the second and fourth set, the third set will be one they look back on after having the lead at 20-18.
"Hard to say a loss is a fun match," said head coach Andy Cole. "Most people had no idea who would win. We were consistent in how we have played all year and we will continue to find a way to finish."
The Warriors have been consistent at the beginning of the sets and usually find themselves up a point or two.
But it's the latter stages when they struggle to finish and close out sets.
"They adapted to tactical changes well," Cole said. "We will watch the film ourselves and sharpen up on situational volleyball IQ. There is a lot to process in a match and we will work on efficiently being in the right place and making excellent choices."
Samantha Lister continues to shine and put up strong numbers as she recorded 14 kills, 20 assists, and 19 digs.
Serena Comer helped out with seven kills and eight digs.
Ava Himstreet was big on the defensive end with 25 digs, the most from either team for an individual.
Michelle Do was solid as always with 19 assists and 11 digs.
The Warriors are going to keep fighting as they try to make a push to move up the conference standings with many games left to be played.
If they're able to work on finishing strong and holding on to leads then they will be able to minimize the match being dragged out to five-setters.
Up Next: The Warriors will be back on the court on Saturday, September 23, for an evening match against UAV.
Westcliff's current overall record is 2-7 and a conference record of 2-5.