William Carey University recovered from an opening-set loss to defeat Xavier University 3-1 Thursday in pool play at the SSAC Championship in Montgomery, Alabama. The Lady Crusaders won the final three sets, 25-23, 25-17 and 25-13.
Xavier took the first set 25-22 after rallying from an early 10-4 deficit. The Gold Nuggets later moved ahead 21-19 and held on to claim the set.
Carey answered in the second set. After Xavier led 13-11, the Lady Crusaders put together a 10-2 run for a 21-15 advantage. Xavier tied the score at 22, but Alejandra Villarreal followed with a kill and a service ace, and Maurin finished the set with a kill.
A 6-0 run helped Carey pull away in the third set, and the team took a 14-7 lead before closing out a 25-17 win. In the fourth, Carey built on an early 5-1 lead with an 11-4 run after Xavier had cut the gap to 6-5. The Lady Crusaders won the set 25-13 to secure the match.
Carey’s next pool-play match was scheduled for Friday against Point University, with first serve listed for 11:30 a.m. at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.
