KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (October 13, 2023) – On Friday, the Truett McConnell University women's volleyball team traveled to compete in an Appalachian Athletic Conference match-up against Johnson University, where the Lady Bears proved capable of defeating the Royals, 3-1 (14-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-18). TMU rises to an overall record of 18-8, 11-3 AAC, while JU falls to a record of 13-7, 7-7 AAC.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Set one saw TMU first on the board with a kill by
Jordan Roberts. JU quickly responded, taking an early lead, forcing the Lady Bears to work hard from behind. Back-to-back kills by
Katie Williams attempted to close the gap but was ultimately unsuccessful as the Royals took set one, 14-25. In set two, the Lady Bears bounced back with a four-point rally to begin the set, featuring a kill by
Sonya Silecky and a block assist by Williams and
Ranavia Neal. The Royals tried to keep up but were quickly out-matched as kills by Neal, Silecky, Roberts and Williams sent TMU ahead by eight. A final block assist by Williams and Neal gave TMU what was needed to secure the win in set two, 25-20.
The third set saw a change as JU was first on the board. TMU did not lose heart as a four-point rally filled with three kills in a row by Williams gave the Lady Bears a marginal lead. TMU continued to hold the lead as kills by Neal and a service ace from
Rylee Simpson pushed the Lady Bears to victory. Two final kills by Roberts and Silecky sealed the deal for the Lady Bears in set three, 25-16. In the final set, TMU was once again first to move with a three-point rally, featuring kills by Neal and Williams, paired with a service ace by Silecky. The Lady Bears continued to work together, holding the lead the entire set, as final kills by Roberts and Williams ultimately gave TMU the victory, 25-18.
LEADERS
Neal led the way for the Lady Bears with 18 kills and two block assists. Williams followed with 16 kills and four block assists, while Roberts tallied 13 kills and two block assists. Silecky had eight kills and 18 digs, while Simpson recorded 52 sets on the evening.
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears will travel to Barbourville, Ky.
on Saturday, October 14, to take on Union College in an AAC matchup. Match time set for
1:00 p.m.
