MISENHEIMER, N.C. (Sept. 17, 2026) – Pfeiffer claimed a first-set victory but could not maintain the momentum as visiting William Peace rallied for a 3-1 USA South volleyball win on Thursday night at Merner Gym.
After edging the opening set 30-28, Pfeiffer dropped the next three sets 25-21, 25-16 and 25-15 to fall to 1-7 overall and 0-2 in conference play, while William Peace improved to 5-4 and 1-0 in the league.
The Falcons showed resilience in a tightly contested first set that featured 17 ties. Trailing late, Pfeiffer received key kills from
Anasty Faavesi,
Jada Thomas and
Leigan Lusk before closing the set on a William Peace error for the 30-28 win.
Faavesi paced the Falcons' attack with a team-high 12 kills, while Lusk added nine kills and hit .389. Thomas and
Ariyan Ford each finished with eight kills, with Ford posting an efficient .438 attack percentage. Setter
Karmen Rion directed the offense with 26 assists and tied for the team lead with three service aces.
Pfeiffer recorded 10 service aces in the match, including three from Rion, three from
Isabelle Conradie, two from
Gabi Gama and two from
Alana Herring.
The Pacers responded after the opening set behind a balanced attack that hit .325 as a team. Jordyn Chinigo led all players with 17 kills and five total blocks, while Madison Fisher contributed 10 kills on a .563 hitting percentage. Setter Emily Thompson dished out 27 assists.
William Peace used an 11-1 run in the second set to seize control and never trailed again in the match. The Pacers hit .571 in the third set and closed strong in the fourth, limiting the Falcons to a .094 attack percentage in the final frame.
Defensively,
Meagan Mowrey led Pfeiffer with five digs, while Rion also recorded five digs to go along with her 26 assists. The Falcons finished with 45 kills and a .169 hitting percentage.
Pfeiffer returns to action on Saturday when they travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. for a tri-match hosted by Salem College. Pfeiffer will take on Salem in a USA South match at Noon, followed by a nonconference match with Carolina U at approximately 2:00 p.m.
