WBU Volleyball Edges Philander Smith in Four Sets

The Williams Baptist University volleyball team won its non-conference home match against Philander Smith College 14-25, 26-24, 26-24, 26-24 Tuesday night at the Southerland-Mabee Center

Hope Raymond finished with a double-double to lead the Lady Eagles with 14 kills and 14 digs.  Laykin Harkcom also had a double-double with 41 assists and 14 digs, while Faith Raymond trailing close behind with 13 digs.

Philander Smith got out to an early 7-1 lead behind serves from Essence Wren and Zarea Winn. A five point run would move the score to 12-5 later in the set, and the Eagles would never catch up.  The Eagles would put up some fight behind two straight aces from Hope Raymond, but the set would end in Philander's advantage, 25-14.

The Eagles start the second set by taking an 8-3 lead behind the serve of Krista Jones. The Eagles would trade points with PSC until the score got to 18-12.  Philander would then rattle off seven straight points to take a 19-18 lead over WBU.  A kill and an ace by Essence Wren would bring Philander's lead to 23-21, and force a WBU timeout.  

Out of the timeout, Laykin Harkcom would assist Hope Raymond twice to even the score at 23. Philander would take a 24-23 lead on a kill by Ja'Niya Sanders, but an attack error from Zarea Winn would even the score back at 24.  WBU would finally take the set on a service ace from Tinleigh Ruhman to even the match at one set a piece.

The third set was a close contest all the way through. Neither team had a lead larger than three points throughout the set.  Philander would take a 20-18 lead late in the set after a bad set from Harkcom, forcing a WBU timeout.  

The Eagles would come out hot out of the timeout once again, with a Dayshia Espinosa kill and a Winn attack error leveling the score at 20 points.  WBU would take another timeout after an Adrianna Evans kill gave Philander a 24-23 advantage.  The Eagles would take the final three points on kills from Hope Raymond and Krista Jones and an assisted block from Dayshia Espinosa and Ruhman. 

The fourth set started as even as the last until Philander rattled off four straight points to take an 8-6 lead. The Lady Eagles responded with six straight points to lead the set 12-8. Multiple WBU attack errors would relinquish the lead back to Philander as PSC led 18-15. The lead would grow to 23-20. 

WBU and PSC traded points to bring the score to 24-21. The Lady Eagles would then score on kills from Halli Bollinger-Yount and Harkcom, which would force a Philander timeout at 24-23.  

The timeout would do little to slow the momentum, though, as the match would end on two straight attack errors from Philander to give the Lady Eagles their third win on the season.

The Lady Eagles pick back up on Friday, Sept. 29th in an AMC matchup against Hannibal-LaGrange at 6 p.m. in the SMC.