Volleyball Falls in Five Sets to Truett McConnell

ATHENS, Tenn.- The volleyball team returned to the court in James L. Robb Gymnasium on Saturday for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) match against the Truett McConnell University Lady Bears. TWU battled back from two sets down but was unable to turn the fifth set in their favor, falling 3-2.

The team was unable to find an offensive footing in the first set. Olivia Miller contributed early with a kill to tie the game at 2-2. Tennessee Wesleyan tried to slow the opponents down with kills from Jia Weathersby but Truett McConnell went on to win the first set 25-12.

The second set was a much closer affair, with Tennessee Wesleyan pushing Truett McConnell to the brink before narrowly falling 26-24. Shante Smith, Miller, and Janie Merritt all delivered crucial kills to keep the game competitive. The Lady Bulldogs fought back from a deficit, moving ahead 24-23 on a kill from Merritt. The visitors scored the next three points to take the second set though.

Tennessee Wesleyan bounced back in a big way in the third set. Behind the strong efforts of Weathersby and Smith, TWU controlled the pace of the set. Key defensive plays, including blocks and aces, helped TWU maintain a lead throughout. Alley Hibdon was instrumental in setting up multiple kills, and the Bulldogs rallied around their strong teamwork to confidently take the set 25-19.

Tennessee Wesleyan carried their momentum to a win in the fourth set. The Lady Bulldogs excelled both offensively and defensively, with help from Merritt, Smith, and Weathersby. Smith delivered several points while the TWU defense also shined, with the backline making critical digs to keep rallies alive. This combination helped the team win the set 25-21.

Hunter Ford and Weathersby started the set strong with some early kills to keep TWU within striking distance at 7-5 in the fifth set. However, Truett McConnell went on a run the Lady Bulldogs could not recover from, taking the fifth set 15-6 to win the match 3-2.

Smith had a team-high 17 kills while Merritt (14), Weathersby (14), and Ford (11) all had career-highs in kills.

Tennessee Wesleyan (6-13, 3-6 AAC) go on the road for their next match. The team will travel to face Johnson University on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.