SE Swept On Opening Day in Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. – Southeastern got off to a rough start to open the 2015 season, dropping a pair of games at the 2015 Rollins Invitational, falling 3-1 to Sioux Falls in the opener before getting upended 3-0 by the host Rollins in game two.
 
The tournament will continue on Saturday with the Savage Storm taking on Southern New Hampshire at 8 a.m. central time before finishing its road trip with a noon matchup against Northern State.
 
Abby Jameson and Julia Benford led the way in the opener with double-digit kill totals each.
 
Jameson tallied a match-high 14 kills in her first game with the Storm, while Benford added 12.
 
Alissa Benson dished out 34 assists in the match and nearly added a double-double with nine digs.
 
Jameson did complete the double-double with 10 digs, while Charlene Nerio led the team with 16 digs.
 
SE held a 5-to-2 edge in blocking, led by three total blocks by Arianna Baker and two each from Maggie Benson and Benford.
 
The Storm played the first set even early on before a 9-3 run by USF opened up a six point lead. Southeastern would close to within three, midway through, but another run would propel the Cougars to a 25-15 win.
 
In the second set, the Storm trailed for the entire set before a late 7-1 run flipped a four-point deficit into a 25-23 win to event he match at 1-1.
 
SE got a taste of that in return in the second set, leading by as many as five midway through before a 6-1 run evened the set at 19-19 and the teams would trade points until USF got back-to-back kills to break a 24-24 tie and win the set 26-24, going up 2-1.
 
The final set was even through the first half with the teams playing to a 13-13 tie before USF closed out the match on a 12-5 run to pull away for a 25-18 win in the set and 3-1 win in the match.
 
Jameson turned in another match-high kill performance in the second matchup of the day against Rollins.
 
Arianna Baker and Benford each added six kills in the effort.
 
Alissa Benson dished out 26 assists over three sets and added eight digs, a block and a service ace.
 
Nerio led the back row defense with 15 digs, while Benford led the way at the net with two.
 
RC jumped in front and stayed there in the opening set, pulling away for a 25-17 win.
 
The second set was neck-and-neck throughout with the Storm closing to within one point at 23-22 late in the set, but the Tars would get the final two points to hand SE the 25-22 loss.
 
Southeastern trailed by as many as five early in the final set before mounting a rally that would lead to three ties beginning at 14-14.
 
The last was at 17-17 and the Storm would close to within one point again at 23-22 and  24-23, but RC would get the final kill and seal the match with a 25-23 win.