WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Trailing on match point in the fifth set, William & Mary rallied to edge out Northeastern at Kaplan Arena on Friday evening, winning by scores of 24-26, 25-23, 25-18, 19-25, and 17-15, snapping its losing streak in the process.

William & Mary (7-13, 2-7 CAA) initiated the first set with a kill from Katherine Arnason, setting an early competitive tone. The teams exchanged points, with Nicole Smith contributing crucial kills to keep the scores tight. Midway through, Arnason delivered back-to-back service aces, briefly giving the home team an edge at 12-10.

Despite holding a narrow lead, W&M faced pressure as the set progressed. Northeastern (7-11, 3-6 CAA) capitalized on a series of errors and a key service ace to pull ahead. Smith's consistent offensive efforts helped W&M rally from a 24-20 deficit to tie the set at 24. However, Northeastern clinched the set 26-24 with a final kill, closing the period with a two-point advantage.

The second set commenced with W&M quickly gaining momentum after an early service error. Arnason's kills, assisted by Beatriz Silva, sparked a run that saw the home team take a 4-1 lead. Audrey Brcka added a service ace to maintain the advantage before Northeastern responded to level the score at 5-5.

W&M regained control with a series of kills from Smith and Olivia Westfort, pushing the lead to 13-10. Despite Northeastern's efforts to close the gap, including a service ace by Brynn Smith, the Green and Gold remained composed, extending their lead to 18-16 through consistent offensive plays.

As the set drew to a close, the Tribe maintained their edge with key contributions from Brcka and Silva. Despite Northeastern narrowing the margin to 24-23, a service error by the visitors concluded the set at 25-23, securing the home team's advantage.

W&M began the third set with a strong start, taking the first point with a kill from Arnason. Silva facilitated two early scoring plays, contributing assists to both Arnason and Damisi Osibodu, establishing an early 2-0 lead. Despite some back-and-forth play, Smith and Westfort provided critical service aces, allowing W&M to build momentum and extend their lead.

Midway through the set, the Tribe capitalized on Northeastern's errors, including a service error and a series of attack errors, to further increase their advantage. Brcka added to the tally with both a kill and a block, supported by Osibodu and Silva, pushing the score to 11-6. W&M maintained control, with Smith contributing another service ace to keep the pressure on the visiting team.

As the set progressed, W&M continued to leverage their attacking strategy, with kills from multiple players including Smith and Westfort. Despite Northeastern's attempts to respond, W&M concluded the set with a decisive point from a bad set by Northeastern, sealing the set 25-18.

Midway through the fourth set, the Green and Gold managed to tie the score at 10-10 with a service ace by Silva and a kill from Osibodu. However, Northeastern regained momentum with strategic blocks and service aces, extending their advantage to 16-14.

Despite efforts from Westfort and Arnason to keep the scoreline tight, Northeastern capitalized on further errors and closed the set with a late service ace. The set ended with Northeastern winning 25-19.

W&M began the fifth set on a strong note, quickly taking a 2-0 lead with a kill from Brcka and an attack error by Northeastern. Arnason and Silva played pivotal roles in maintaining the momentum, contributing with kills and service aces that extended the lead to 8-2.

Despite a rally from Northeastern that tied the score at 11-11, W&M responded effectively. Key defensive blocks by Arnason and Osibodu helped regain the lead. As the set progressed, Westfort and Smith delivered critical blocks, propelling W&M to a 17-15 victory, securing the set and match.

STAT NUGGETS

• Horejsi had a match-high 23 digs.
• Smith led the Tribe with 15 kills and 18 points.
• Silva set a season-high with 39 assists and posted a double-double with 16 digs.
• Osibodu recorded five blocks, one solo.
• The Tribe tallied 12 service aces.
• W&M out-blocked Northeastern 9-5.

UP NEXT
W&M will host Northeastern again on Saturday 25 at 1 p.m.