DEXTER -- The Dexter Bearcats put Monday night's loss to Advance behind them.
The Bearcats built a big lead in the first set and held off Leopold in the second for a 25-11, 25-22 victory Tuesday night at the Bearcat Event Center.
Advance beat the Bearcats 25-21, 25-17 to snap their five-match winning streak and deliver Dexter its first SCAA loss.
"Advance is a solid team all the way around," Dexter coach Starla Pulley said. "We struggled with our blocking. I knew that if we didn't block well, they (would capitalize because they) have a good offense. So tonight that was one of the things that I wanted the girls to work on -- getting in there, getting set, moving quicker, talking and (having) more energy."
The Bearcats (6-4) followed their coach's advice to build a 14-point lead in the first set.
"The chemistry and communication is something that we struggle with," Pulley said. "They have the athletic ability. It's getting them to all work together and get it all going at the same time. I felt like the first game, we did pretty good. We kept control of the game."
Dexter scored the match's first eight points behind a pair of kills by Alexa Werneck, who finished with a team-high five, and a series of hitting errors by Leopold.
"The first set, I had to change my lineup right at the beginning because a girl was hurt," Leopold coach Sandy Davis said. "It kinda threw everybody off a little, but they've got to adjust to that. It doesn't matter what happens, you've got to be able to adjust to it and play."
After a kill by Kyla Beel ended the run, Maycie Martin delivered a pair of kills to stretch the Bearcats' lead to 11-1.
Leopold (10-6-3) scored three of the next five points, before the Bearcats scored five straight to take an 18-4 lead. Chloe Thurmon's two kills were responsible for two of Dexter's five points.
The Wildcats sliced their deficit to 19-9 before Dexter closed out the set with a 6-2 run.
Leopold committed 10 errors in the first set.
"Defense and passing, we've still got a lot of work to do on that," Davis said. "You can't win many ballgames without that. We've got to continue to work on that. Hopefully, it's going to start clicking."
The lead changed hands seven times and the score was tied 11 times in the second set.
Beel had seven of her match-high 10 kills in the second set to fuel Leopold's attack.
"She's aggressive, will hit anywhere and wants the ball," Davis said of her junior hitter.
Leopold took advantage of a porous Dexter defense in the second set.
"Second set, we had 13 dig errors just for not moving our feet, not being ready for the ball," Pulley said. "We've definitely got to work on that."
The Bearcats gained the second set's biggest lead after a pair of passing errors by Leopold gave them a 19-15 advantage.
The Wildcats sliced their deficit to 22-21 on a kill-block by Kara Hampton, but Dexter scored three of the next four points to clinch the win. Blair Rogers' kill ended the match.
"Leopold's a good scrappy team," Pulley said. "They're not going to come in and lay down. The first game, we kind of had control. The second set, if you're going to make errors and give them points, you've got to expect them to come after you because you're giving them momentum."
Natalie Sitze paced the Bearcats with 17 digs. Shelby Bishop and Dulcie Pullen had eight assists each to lead Dexter.
Rogers finished with four kills and two blocks, and Thurmon had two kills and two blocks.