By Denise Cronister
Student Reporter
The Northwestern Lady Rangers volleyball team ended their regular season Saturday with an 18-13 overall record.
Last Thursday the Lady Rangers played their last home game against the rival Southwestern Bulldogs and were defeated 1-3.
Southwestern got off to a quick start as they went up 0-5 on the Lady Rangers, yet Northwestern followed up with a run of their own, pulling within one.
The set went back and forth but the bulldogs came out with the win 23-25.
The Bulldogs took control and kept the lead throughout the second set and would finish with a 0-2 lead over the Lady Rangers.
Seniors Hannah Williams and Brooklynn Hesson guided the team to their first win of the match with seven and four kills respectively.
The Lady Rangers walked away with the third set victory, 25-19.
In the fourth set, in what would be the last, tied at 9-9, the Lady Bulldogs got the momentum they needed to take down the Lady Rangers 18-25.
Williams posted a match high of 22 kills, and Kiauna Clark would follow up with 12 kills of her own.
In the final match in Percifull Fieldhous, Lady Ranger’s Tobi-Rae Barker finished with 19 digs, Cassidy Hackett had 46 helpers and Hesson would finish with 10 kills.
Four Lady Ranger seniors took the floor in their last home match: Hannah Williams, Cassidy Hackett, Tobi-Rae Barker and Brooklynn Hesson.
To close out the regular season, the Lady Rangers defeated the East Central Tigers in four sets.
The first set, the Lady Rangers had the momentum and would take the first win of the match 25-18.
The second set was a neck and neck the whole way between the two teams.
The red and black would then take the second win of the match now leading 2-0.
The Tigers held the lead the whole third set and halted the Lady Rangers sweep bid winning the third set 23-25.
The Lady Rangers came out determined and finished the fourth set 25-19 winning the match 3-1.
Barker put up a match high with her 22 digs.
Jennifer Eubanks lead the team with 14 kills along with Clark right behind her with 12 kills.
As the 2018 regular season come to a close the Lady Rangers volleyball is all but over as they look to make a run in the Great American Conference Championships in Hot Spring, Aransas.
Northwestern will go up against the GAC’s No. 1 Harding University Nov. 8.
Game times are to be announced.