Wolves Fall to Cavaliers in Tough Conference Match
WISE, VA — The Newberry College volleyball team faced a challenging road match against UVA Wise on Saturday, October 19. The Wolves, with a record of 4-9 and 1-5 in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC), struggled to find their rhythm and lost in three straight sets to the Cavaliers, who improved to 9-9 and 3-6 in SAC.
Match Overview
The match began with promise for the Wolves as they quickly built a 5-1 lead in the first set. Key contributions came from Anna Hapner and Samantha Shaffer, who each delivered back-to-back kills. With assistance from Annie Dill, the Wolves maintained a lead, pushing the score to 14-9. The momentum shifted, however, as UVA Wise rallied, leveraging their offense to narrow the gap.
Newberry managed to hold a slight lead at 20-19 late in the set, but the Cavaliers turned the tide with a strong finish, executing a 6-1 run to claim the first set 25-23.
Second Set Struggles
The second set proved to be more challenging for Newberry. UVA Wise took an instant 8-1 lead, putting the Wolves on the defensive. Despite efforts from Newberry’s Giovanna Ravanhani and Emma Christensen, who contributed important kills to spark a comeback, UVA Wise maintained control, extending their lead to 17-10.
Although Anna Schneider’s back-to-back kills provided a glimmer of hope for the Wolves, they could only manage to secure five more points in the set. The Cavaliers ultimately finished the second set strong, winning 25-15.
Final Set and Conclusion
In the third and final set, both teams started off evenly matched, with the score reaching a tie at 5-5. Newberry briefly took the lead at 12-10 following a kill from Shaffer, but their momentum was soon halted as UVA Wise responded with an impressive 8-1 run, pulling ahead to 18-13.
The Wolves displayed determination and made a push to close the gap but ultimately fell short, losing the final set 25-21. This loss puts Newberry’s conference record at 1-5, while UVA Wise improves to 3-6.
Upcoming Matches
Looking ahead, the Wolves will be back on their home court on October 22, when they face off against Carson-Newman at 6:00 p.m.. This match will be an important opportunity for the Wolves to turn their season around and regain confidence against a formidable opponent.
Fans and supporters are encouraged to attend and rally behind the Newberry College volleyball team as they look to improve their standing in the conference.
