FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Methodist volleyball hosted a USA South Athletic Conference tri-match on Saturday afternoon, with Mary Baldwin University and Salem College as the two visiting schools. In the March F. Riddle Center, the Monarchs were victorious against the Fighting Squirrels by shutting them out 3-0 but later on Methodist would fall by the same score to the Spirits.

JUST THE FACTS
Final scores: Methodist def. Mary Baldwin, 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-20); Salem def. Methodist 3-0 (20-25, 19-25, 20-25)
Records: Methodist 10-12 (5-7 USA South), Mary Baldwin 2-24 (1-11), Salem 15-6 (8-3)
Location: March F. Riddle Center; Fayetteville, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The offensive was clicking early on for the Monarchs as they went up 5-1. Mary Baldwin did not allow that to deter the team and they battled to keep the set close, 11-9. Mini runs of 4-0 and 3-0 was the final nail in the coffin for the Monarchs to put the game out of reach.
• Twice in the second set Methodist tallied five straight points to take an 11-3 advantage. The Fighting Squirrels attempted to keep themselves with striking distance, as the team got within a four-point difference on multiple occasions. Alas that was the best Mary Baldwin could do before the Monarchs went up two game to none.
• In set number three, Methodist found themselves in unfamiliar territory as they trailed the Fighting Squirrels, 10-8. The Monarchs got themselves back in front by scoring eight of the next nine points to go up 16-11. After Mary Baldwin scored to be down only by one, 19-18, it became a battle for those final points. Luckily Methodist got to 25 first to secure the match.
• Set one of the match between the Monarchs and Salem, saw the Spirits take a 5-1 lead to start. Methodist stayed in that four-point gap for a bit before a good Salem run to make it a double-digit difference, 21-11. The Monarchs made the ending interesting by getting within four, 24-20, again until the Spirits claimed the last point.
• Once again Salem got out to an early lead, 6-1, to begin the second set. Both teams utilized 5-0 runs in this match, as Methodist was only down by two, 17-15, midway through the game. The Monarchs could not manage to string together consecutive points again in this set before the Spirits took this game.
• The final set witnessed Salem scoring the first six points followed by Methodist tallying the next six points themselves to tie it up at 6-6. This game continued to be a tightly contested set until the Spirits recorded another 6-0 run to go up 21-13. The Monarchs tried to get back within this set, by registering another six straight points, but it was not enough to pull off a comeback.

FACTS/FIGURES

• Three Methodist players concluded the day with double digits kills between both matches. Leading the Monarchs was Geneva Barriger with a grand total of 26 followed by Jeanana Fowler (22) and Leann Sessoms (13).
• In both matches, Methodist had pretty good hitting percentages. Against Mary Baldwin, the Monarchs' attacks were converting on a .268 clip compared to the Fighting Squirrels at a .195 percentage. Methodist was close to the same percentage, at .264, versus Salem but the Spirits attack, at .302, was just better.
• Freshman Carrie Jordan led each match in digs. She 17 versus Mary Baldwin before accumulating another 18 against Salem.

UP NEXT
Methodist will be celebrating Senior Night this upcoming Wednesday. North Carolina Wesleyan University travels down to Fayetteville for a 7 PM contest.