HOOVER, Ala. – The 2022 South Region Crossover came to a close on Saturday for UWG volleyball, as the Wolves fell 3-0 to the Saint Leo Lions.
West Georgia (9-16, 2-8) struggled defensively, as Saint Leo (8-12, 1-8) recorded 48 kills on a .343 hitting percentage which ranks as the highest hitting percentage UWG has allowed this season.
The Lions hit a blistering .484 in set one and took a 10-8 lead on the Wolves to begin. West Georgia would stay close in the set and cut the lead to one thanks to a kill from
Autumn Mayes, but that's as close as the Wolves would get, with Saint Leo using an 8-2 run to open up a 20-13 lead over UWG. A kill from
Caitlin Frazee halted the Lions' momentum for a moment, but the set was too far out of reach for the Wolves as Saint Leo won it 25-17.
Set two was all Saint Leo, beginning with the Lions putting UWG in a 10-5 hole early. The two teams traded blows, with kills from Zoë LaBreche and Frazee keeping West Georgia within five before a 6-0 run from Saint Leo put the Lions up 21-10, practically putting the set away. UWG scored two more points in the set thanks to a couple of errors from the Lions, but a service ace from Saint Leo would eventually win the set 25-13 for the Lions.
Coach
Kara Hellmann implemented freshman
Sanai Young late in set two and started Young to begin set three. The freshman made an immediate impact, giving West Georgia the jolt they needed by scoring five of UWG's first 13 points to give the Wolves a 13-8 lead midway through the set. Down by five, Saint Leo burned their first timeout and quickly turned the set around, by going on a 6-0 run to take a 14-13 lead. The teams would once again trade punches until a kill and a service ace from
Emilee Harris gave West Georgia a 22-20 lead and forced Saint Leo to use their last timeout of the set. The Lions responded in a big way out of the timeout, using a 5-1 run to win the set, 25-23, and the match.
Frazee led the Wolves with a team-high eight kills on a .312 hitting percentage, while Young picked up a match-high three blocks.
West Georgia will make their return to the Coliseum on Friday when they welcome the Montevallo Falcons for a 5:00 p.m. conference matchup.
