By Dustin Semore
FHU Information Director
The Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions faced some of the top talent in the Sun Conference and the Southern States Athletic Conference this weekend by falling Saturday to the No. 19 St. Thomas (Fla.) Bobcats and the Crusaders of William Carey (Miss.) 3-0 in each match.
Game One
No. 19 St. Thomas def. FHU 3-0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-17)
The Lady Lions (0-3) were off and running when FHU scored four consecutive points to take a 6-3 lead over the the Bobcats. STU then scored eight of the next 10 points to switch to an 11-8 lead. The Lady Lions made a good push near the end, scoring four quick points thanks to kills from Cate Schroer and Avery Harris, but St. Thomas took the set 25-18.
The Lady Lions showed good work from three different levels at the end of the second set, recording points on a kill, a block, and an ace all on set point. The Bobcats (9-0) were able to break through to take the final point in a 25-13 set win.
Despite trailing 12-2 in the third set, FHU put up a valiant comeback bid when a kill from Schroer sparked a six-point swing ending when another Schroer kill set the score at 20-16 in favor of the Bobcats.
STU managed to win out the set and match to finish 25-17.
Avery Harris led FHU’s offense with seven kills while Alyssa Austin recorded a team-high 12 assists.
Game Two
William Carey def. FHU 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-22)
A back-and-forth first set helped Freed-Hardeman (0-4) score three straight points when Iza Wos’s kill knotting the set 10-10. Neither teach could stretch out to a comfortable lead with Alanys Ruiz Rivera collecting an ace before Cate Schroer’s kill made the score 20-19 in favor of William Carey.
A late push from the Lady Crusaders ended the first set 25-20.
After William Carey (6-2) won set 2 by a 25-12 margin, the Lady Lions were forced to fight to keep the match alive in the third set. A service ace from Wos did just that when the new Lady Lion made the score 12-11 going FHU’s way. The Lady Crusaders, however, were able to string together blocks of points to take the set and the match 25-22.
Audrey Orton collected a team-high seven kills while Alyssa Austin set up FHU with 12 assists. Charley Fulton helped defensively with 12 digs. Catherin Hackett and Morgan Jackson teamed up for two tandem blocks.
