GEORGETOWN, TEXAS -  Southwestern University Volleyball battled throughout three competitive sets but ultimately fell to Berry College 0–3 in the Southern Athletic Association Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 14. The Pirates opened the match with strong energy, pushing the Vikings to a tight 23–25 loss in the first set behind 13 kills and a .111 hitting percentage. Set two mirrored the competitiveness of the first, but Southwestern's offense stalled to an even .000 hitting mark with eight kills and eight errors. Berry, hitting .121 with 10 kills, capitalized on key moments to take the frame 25–20. The Pirates responded with their most efficient attacking performance in set three, hitting .227 with nine kills. 

Head Coach Don Flora said, "We give Berry a lot of credit for putting early pressure on many phases of the game tonight. Our team continued to fight and gave ourselves a chance to climb back into the match, and we're proud of that effort. We needed to be a bit cleaner and more efficient in a few areas, and that didn't quite happen for us tonight. But in the big picture, this group has accomplished a lot of wonderful things this season, and we still have meaningful opportunities ahead of us."

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Emily Marks led the Pirate attack with 10 kills while also contributing two blocks

• Setter Annika Flora guided the offense with 15 assists, while Taylor Johnson added 10 assists and contributed on both sides of the ball with two aces and seven digs

• Lauren McIntyre added two aces of her own, along with six digs and two assists

GAME NOTES

• Kendall Jurgens and Chloe Blanchard added six kills each, with Jurgens also registering a pair of blocks

• Defensively, Izzy Rodriguez anchored the back row with a team-high nine digs

• Across the match, Southwestern finished with 30 kills while hitting .099. The Pirates held a slight advantage in digs, 36–33, showing strong defensive determination throughout the match

UP NEXT 

• With their conference tournament run complete, the Pirates will now await the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 17, to see if they earn an at-large bid to continue their postseason journey.