The William Carey Lady Crusaders split their first day at the Carlos Soler ‘La Tribu’ Invitational, hosted by Life University in Marietta, Georgia. They fell 3-1 to New College of Florida before rallying for a 3-1 victory over Florida College, according to team reports.
In a rematch from last week, Carey faced New College of Florida in a closely contested match. The first set was tied at 28-28 before Emily Martin made a diving save and Evelyn Araujo finished with a kill to give the Lady Crusaders a 30-28 win. The Banyans responded in the second set, pulling away late to win 25-22. Carey led early in the third set but fell behind after a 19-18 lead turned into a 25-21 loss. New College carried that momentum into the fourth set, winning 25-16 and claiming the match victory.
In their match against Florida College, Carey edged out the Falcons in the first set, 25-21, after trading points and a key block from Agnes Hegart and Malorie Gaughf. The Lady Crusaders dominated the second set early, opening an 8-1 lead and eventually winning 25-19. Florida College responded in the third set, jumping out to an 8-4 lead and pulling away to win 25-14 to extend the match. Carey regrouped in the fourth set, building a 9-5 lead and holding off the Falcons’ attempts to come back. The Lady Crusaders sealed the win with a 25-19 final, aided by attack errors from Florida College and kills from Aubrey Easley and Reagan Ziegler.
William Carey is scheduled to continue tournament play Saturday, facing Webber International at 10 a.m. and Point University at 2 p.m., according to team officials.
