WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Faulkner leaves the Palm Beach County Sports Commission Volleyball Classic with a 1-3 record after knocking off Goshen in straight sets (25-19, 25-20, 25-20) before falling to Life Pacific in the same manner (25-16, 25-15, 25-26) Friday at Keiser University.
Faulkner 3, Goshen 0
In the first ever meeting against the side from the Hoosier State, defense ruled the day for the Lady Eagles, holding the Maple Leafs to a .010 hitting percentage through the match on 97 attacks. Faulkner capitalized on three straight Leaf errors to start the match with a kill from
Alexis McInroy en route to a 4-0 lead.
Julia Rice's kill broke a 15-all tie and started an 8-1 run fueled by two
Katie Jordan kills and an ace from
Macy Kemper out of a Goshen timeout to push the Lady Eagles to the match lead.
After being tied at three in the second set, Faulkner profited off of three consecutive Leaf attack errors to take a lead it would not surrender despite the lead being cut to one four times with
Hannah Bryan playing the role of Sandman killing three of the final six points.
Rice and Jordan provided the 1-2 punch on the block, denying Amy Baca's attack, and started a run that flipped a four point deficit into a tie off three more Leaf attack errors and a kill from Rice.
Mallory Black's kill at 14-all put the Lady Eagles into the lead for good.
Mackenzie Littrell killed two straight points before
Victoria Wheeler made good on her collegiate volleyball debut, assisting Bryan on her first point on the floor. Wheeler proceeded to start a personal 3-0 run with a kill then two assisted blocks with Jordan. Kemper's setter kill ended the match three points later.
Alysa Vinson led the team with 14 digs and seven assists as libero after a second-team all-SSAC performance as a six-rotation player in the spring. Jordan and Wheeler led the way on the defensive net with three assisted blocks each. The balanced attack from Faulkner saw Rice, Bryan and Littrell share the lead with six kills each as nine different players recorded multiple kills.
Alyssa Stagner paced the team with 16 assists.
Life Pacific 3, Faulkner 0
Fresh off a five-set win against SSAC foe Loyola, the Californians' attack was too much for Faulkner to keep pace with in the nightcap of the Classic as the Warriors launched a barrage of 41 kills compared to just 19 for Faulkner. Life Pacific won all five major stat categories in the first-ever meeting between the programs.
A 10-all tie quickly became a 18-11 deficit with six Life Pacific kills in nine points as the Warriors would coast to the first set win. After splitting the first two points in the second set, Faulkner would not draw level again in the second set as the Warriors hit 16 kills to just six errors in the frame.
Faulkner led 5-2 in the third, but four consecutive attack errors, including two blocks, pushed Life Pacific into the lead as part of a 13-2 swing. The Lady Eagles could not bring the deficit closer than five in the rest of the set as Life Pacific took the match.
Nine different Lady Eagles recorded a kill.
Sarah-Gracen Watts led the team with nine digs with Stagner just one behind her while leading the team in both assists with seven and two aces.
The Lady Eagles turn their attention to their home court with the Faulkner Invitational August 27 and 28. They open play with Tennessee Wesleyan at 5 p.m. Friday Aug. 27.
