Riding a two-match winning streak, the Bears entered Monday's home contest against Northwest hoping to keep the run going against a very tough Ranger team. And despite taking the visitors to a fifth set they could get the win in the end, falling 25-19, 23-25, 26-24, 19-25, 10-15.
"I told the girls that I am very proud of them," Southwest head coach Chris Laird said. "It wasn't even five matches or six matches ago, we probably didn't think that we could compete with a team like that. And they are obviously a good team, they have some great players, and they are well-coached. The biggest thing is that they force you to make errors. When you play a team like that, you know it is going to be a battle."
In the first set, the Bears (3-10, 2-4 MACCC) got off to a positive start as kills from Tierra Martin and Reagan Robinson were accompanied by one from Haley Eckert who also provided a block. Southwest raced out to an 8-4 lead but Northwest kept pace.
The Bears led 11-7 but six-consecutive points and nine of the next 11 grew the lead for the hosts. Northwest rallied late but Southwest shut the door on the opportunity, taking the first set.
The visitors grabbed an early lead in the second set but strong play from Berta Soules, which included a pair of kills and a block, fueled a 6-0 run which put Southwest up 8-5. The hits kept coming for the Bears as the hosts took a 15-12 lead but they, unfortunately, lost momentum as the Rangers came back.
Tied at 23, late, the Bears lost containment as the Rangers claimed the second set.
A back-and-forth battled ensued in the third set and with the Bears trailing 19-17, they went on a run. A kill and ace from Robinson complemented a pair of kills from Soules as Southwest grabbed the lead once again. The Bears overcame another late rally from the Rangers to claim the third set.
Southwest fell behind early in the fourth and could never full regroup as the Rangers stayed one step ahead, taking the set.
In the fifth, a slow start proved to be too much for Southwest to recover from as Northwest claimed the set and the match.
Southwest will be back in action on Monday visiting Gulf Coast at 6 p.m.
