Box Score Southwest showed great resiliency and determination Monday picking up a 24-26, 25-21, 25-27, 25-19, 15-12 win over visiting Itawamba.
 
"I'm very proud of the girls," Southwest head coach Chris Laird said. "Itawamba is a solid team, they do a great job of coaching, they have some fantastic athletes. I felt that both teams played hard tonight. Hats off to them for coming in here. I'm really happy the fans showed up tonight, it was great having them here supporting us. I'm very proud of my team and we have to turn around and do it again on Wednesday."
 
The Bears (2-9, 1-3 MACCC) got off to a good start, scoring the first five points of the match. But the momentum didn't last long as the Indians had a rally of their own to tie the match. For the remainder of the first frame both teams went back and forth but the Bears unfortunately lost focus in the end dropping the first set 24-26.
 
Southwest battled in the second set and despite trailing 13-11, the Bears righted the wrongs and rallied. A 10-5 run, highlighted by four kills from Reagan Robinson helped the hosts jump ahead 21-16. The Bears finished strong, taking the second set 25-21.
 
Southwest trailed 18-8 in the third set but yet another rally made up mostly of stellar play from Robinson who had three kills and two aces during the run, helped the Bears narrow the gap. Afterward it was Tierra Martin's turn as the Mobile, AL-native followed up a kill from Haley Eckert with four-consecutive ones of her own helping Southwest climb back into the contest.
 
"I just started to focus and I told myself, I said 'T you are going to have a big gap and everything will just go right for you,'" said Martin.
 
Despite this, unfortunately, the Bears lost containment in the end, dropping the third set.
 
In the fourth set, it was a bit of déjà vu for Southwest as the Bears fell behind early but continued to fight and drew even. Tied at 9, the Bears got two-consecutive aces from Kelis Parker followed by one from Ava Davis then two kills each from Martin and Robinson. The surge lifted the hosts to a 22-13 lead and even though the Indians inched closer, Southwest finished off the frame strong as the match moved to the fifth and deciding set.
 
In the fifth, the trio of Martin, Robinson and Eckert helped set the tone early as Southwest took an early lead at 8-7. Another small run a short time later in which was mostly made up of key plays from Eckert, Abby Greenlee and Berta Soules helped the Bears continue to pour it on as the hosts eventually won the set and the match.
 
The Bears will be back in action on Wednesday as they visit Meridian at 6 p.m.