Westerners Rally to Force Fifth Set Before Falling at Clarendon

Clarendon, TX – The Lady Westerners battled back after dropping the first two sets to force a decisive fifth, but ultimately came up short in a 3-2 loss to the Bulldogs (18-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 10-15).

Clarendon opened the match strongly, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first set and never looking back on their way to a 25-18 win. The Westerners responded in the second with a 3-0 run to start, and after trading points throughout the frame, they took their first lead at 15-13. However, the Bulldogs closed the set late to win 25-21. In the third set, the Westerners bounced back, fighting through a 21-21 tie before finishing strong to take it 25-22. They carried that momentum into the fourth set, building an 18-12 lead and holding steady to even the match with a 25-17 victory. The deciding fifth set stayed close early, with WTC taking a 9-7 lead, but Clarendon rallied back and sealed the match 15-10.

Anayah Sinclair and Aubrie Frazier both recorded season highs with 15 kills apiece. Sinclair added five digs and three block assists, while Frazier hit .407 on 27 attempts and contributed two block assists. Savhanna Thompson also reached double figures with 15 kills to go with nine digs and an ace. Setter play was strong for the Westerners, as Sydney Roberts handed out 25 assists and seven digs, and Sofia Salcido delivered 22 assists for her second match this season with 20 or more. Salcido also added 12 digs and two service aces to her performance. At the net, Maja Ludyga led the defense with four block assists.

As a team, the Westerners put up 54 kills, marking the second time they have topped the 50-kill mark this year. They also recorded 51 assists, making it their second season match with 50 or more assists, 53 digs, and 12 total blocks.

The Lady Westerners return to action on Wednesday, October 8, when they travel to face Amarillo College at the FirstBank Southwest Center in Amarillo, TX. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 PM CDT.