After a brief recovery from a season-long losing streak, William and Mary (7-17, 3-10 CAA) lost its final home game of the season to Colonial Athletic Association rival North Carolina-Wilmington (13-12, 3-9 CAA) Nov. 3.
Senior setter Autumn Brenner was once again a bright spot in an otherwise dismal outing, earning seven digs and handing out 42 assists in her final match at Kaplan Arena, but the rest of the Tribe got off to a slow start, hitting .034 in the opening frame.
Junior middle blocker Julia Brown notched a kill, an assist, a dig and three blocks, while junior opposite hitter Kate Dedrick and sophomore outside hitter Anne Louise Seekford each put down two kills. It was far from enough to carry the College to victory, however. The Seahawks took the first set 25-17, but the loss seemed to light a fire under the Tribe, which found its stride in the second game.
Freshman libero Anna Porter continued to lead the defense, popping up 16 digs in the second frame alone, and greatly contributing to the College’s ability to limit the Seahawks to a .000 hitting percentage in the set. The Tribe scooped the second game 25-16, without trailing for a single point, proving it still possessed the resilience that has been noticeably lacking in previous outings this season.
The Seahawks fought back in the third set, unwilling to relinquish the match so easily, and the score was tied five separate times. Despite Dedrick putting down five of the Tribe’s ten total kills, the Seahawks defense remained undeterred, siding out 70 percent of the time to win the match 25-20.
The fourth set was a nail-bitter, but despite contributions from Porter, Brown, and Dedrick, the Tribe once again failed to fight back from a loss and allowed the game to slip away. Brenner dished out 20 assists, making herself a key player in the fourth frame, which would end up being the last set she ever played in Kaplan Arena as the Tribe lost by a heart-breaking, two-point margin, 25-23, and with it the match, 3-1.
The College will take to the road for the final stretch of its regular season slate, facing Delaware Friday, Nov. 9 and James Madison Sunday, Nov. 11.
