WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary fell to Charleston in straight sets on Friday evening at Kaplan Arena, with scores of 25-21, 25-23, and 25-20.
The first set opened with W&M (9-15, 4-9 CAA) taking an early lead through a kill by
Nicole Smith, assisted by
Beatriz Silva. However, Charleston (16-8, 10-3) quickly gained momentum, capitalizing on a series of errors by the Green and Gold to establish a lead.
Audrey Brcka and
Olivia Westfort made significant contributions with several kills, bringing W&M back into contention midway through the set. Despite their efforts, Charleston maintained their advantage and closed out the set with a 25-21 victory.
The Tribe made a strong start in the second set with a sequence of points, including a kill by Brcka and a block by Westfort, securing an early 3-1 lead. However, Charleston responded, leveling the score and eventually pulling ahead. A key moment for the Tribe came when Silva assisted Smith and
Katherine Arnason for kills, helping to tie the game at 17-17.
As the set progressed, W&M kept the score tight with crucial contributions from Smith and Arnason. Despite tying the game at 23-23 with another kill by Smith, Charleston ultimately ended the set with a 25-23 victory.
The Green and Gold faced a challenging third set, as Charleston quickly established momentum with a series of errors from the home team, resulting in a 3-0 early lead. Smith's kill, assisted by Silva, briefly interrupted the visitor's run, but Charleston continued to extend their advantage, reaching an 8-1 lead.
Westfort sparked a response for the Tribe with a kill, narrowing the gap to 8-3. Brcka and
Devereaux Hoxsie combined to close the margin further, bringing the score to 18-16. However, Charleston regained control with timely kills, including a decisive one from Julia Gnida, to secure the set.
Despite late efforts from W&M, including a final kill by Arnason, Charleston clinched the third set with a 25-20 victory, concluding the match.
STAT NUGGETS
- Brcka had 14 kills.
- Silva dished a match-high 37 assists.
- Westfort posted seven kills with a .353 hitting percentage and four blocks.
- Love had six total blocks.
- Horejsi collected 21 digs.
- The Tribe recorded a match-high attack percentage of .414 in the second set.
UP NEXT
The Tribe will conclude the home slate with Senior Day against Charleston on Saturday at 2 p.m.