ATLANTA, Ga. - Faulkner faced its third consecutive tournament weekend on Friday when it entered the Emory University event here in Atlanta. Faulkner dropped sets early to Birmingham Southern, but rebounded with three unanswered wins to clinch the match 23-25, 22-25, 25-12,25-15,16-14. An undefeated Eastern University team proved too much for the Lady Eagles however, and Faulkner lost in straight sets 25-20, 25-22, 25-21. 

Faulkner blew an early eight point lead in the opening set against Birmingham Southern and fell behind 14-6 in set two before things started to click. The fire sparked late for Faulkner and though it couldn't quite claw back into a second set win, a new tempo was set for the remainder of the contest. 

Faulkner blasted the Panthers in sets three and four, outscoring the opponent 50-27. 

Southern bounced back in the fifth set however,and pushed the contest to match point forcing Faulkner to call a timeout trailing14-13. Faulkner battled out of the rut with three unanswered points to take the game and remain unbeaten. 

After the emotional win, Faulkner set its sites on a fast and rested Eastern University squad. The No. 5 Eagles (NCAA Div. III) outpaced Faulkner in straight sets despite a strong surge by the Lady Eagles inset three. 

Kelsey Bell led Faulkner's attack with 31 kills, hitting .272, and had 30 digs and a pair of service aces on the day. 

Senior Neysa Hernandez wasn't far behind with 27 kills and 29 digs. 

Senior Abbie Melvin led the defensive effort with 43 digs and had 10 kills and two aces. 

Senior Jessica Long had nine total blocks on the afternoon and added four kills. 

Morgan Wilson had 48 assists followed by KK Lo with 37. 

The Lady Eagles have consistently demonstrated that they play their best when under pressure. It's when they're facing danger head on and a loss seems eminent that they play at full capacity. When Faulkner hits its stride its a tough force to stop. The trick now, it seems, is to find that energy early on and try to make extended set matches fewer and farther between. 
Faulkner (9-1) will face more high-octane opponents on Saturday when it enters day two of the tournament. The Lady Eagles will open with No.16 Trinity University (NCAA Div. III) at 1 p.m.