Wofford 3, Southern Wesleyan 0

 

SPARTANBURG, S.C.- The Wofford volleyball team opened up its 2008 home slate with a win over visiting Southern Wesleyan, 3-0, by scores of 25-19, 25-9 and 25-12. Wofford was able to jump out to leads in all three sets and never look back.

In set one, the score was tied at 12-12 when a kill and service ace by junior Shanna Hughes gave Wofford (3-2) a 14-12 lead, one which the Terriers would never relinquish. In set two Wofford went on two extended runs with the first coming at 2-1 in which the Terriers increased their lead to 9-2, along with a run that saw a 10-4 lead jump to 20-8, resulting in a convincing set win. Set three also saw the Terriers come out quickly as they built an early 9-3 lead which ultimately led to the match win.

 

Three players were able to reach double digit kills as sophomore Stacy Byrd tallied 11, while both senior Liz Sheets and Shanna Hughes marked 10 for the Wofford offense. Junior setter Joanna Suddath chipped in two service aces and 31 assists. Wofford had a .352 team hitting percentage.

 

Senior Brittany Thompson led the way on the defensive side collecting 18 digs helping limit the Southern Wesleyan hitting percentage to .043.

 

Southern Wesleyan’s (3-3) Katelyn Barnes led the Warrior offense with 6 kills, while Kendra Abercrombie anchored the defense adding 10 digs.

 

Wofford returns to the court this weekend at the USC Upstate Volleyball Classic. The Terriers take on Radford at 3:30 p.m. and host USC Upstate at 7 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, Wofford will face UNC Ashville at 11:30 a.m. and Hampton at 4:30 p.m.   

 

 

UNC Greensboro 3, North Carolina A&T 0

 

GREENSBORO, NC ? UNC Greensboro opened the home portion of its schedule with a 3-0 sweep of North Carolina A&T on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Set scores were 25-16, 25-18, 25-9.

 

North Carolina A&T jumped out to an early lead in the first set, holding multiple one- and two-point advantages over the Spartans. With the Aggies leading 11-10, a kill from junior Branagan Fuller tied the set and sparked a four-point UNCG run. After the teams traded points, UNCG began to pull away. As the Spartans had a 20-15 advantage, sophomore Kayren Finney’s kill began another UNCG four-point run that put made the score 24-15. After a UNCG service error, Fuller scored the set-winning kill in order to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the match.

 

In the second set, UNCG five-straight points at the beginning of the set to take 7-3 lead. However, North Carolina A&T gradually cut down the Spartans’ advantage. North Carolina A&T’s Janae Mitchell served an ace that tied the set at 14-all. Points flip-flopped between UNCG and the Aggies until Finney and sophomore Alissa Beaudway blocked a Mitchell attack and put UNCG up 18-17. Finney and Beaudway’s block was also the start of a six-point run, which included a pair of kills from junior Catherine Hanners and one from freshman Luciana Shafer to give the Spartans a 23-17 lead. Following a UNCG service error, the Spartans got the final two points they needed to win the set as the Aggies committed a pair of attack errors to close the set.

 

UNCG took control of set three from the beginning. With UNCG up 3-1, sophomore Kimiko Naito had a kill that was the first of eight-straight Spartan points. The Spartans continued to increase their lead and eventually held a 12-point 14-2 advantage. North Carolina A&T cut UNCG’s lead down to nine, but a kill by junior Emily Lindborg led to five straight points and a 20-6 lead for the Spartans. UNCG ultimately won the set and the match when redshirt sophomore Caley Redden and Finney blocked an attack by Mitchell.

 

Fuller led the match with eight kills and 10 digs, while Naito put up a match-high 19 assists. Junior Kayleigh Knerr served four of the Spartans’ five aces, while Finney totaled four block assists.

 

Mitchell had a team-high five kills for the Aggies and Jordan Gray tallied 16 assists. Amber Inman had a team-high seven digs.

 

UNCG is back in action on Friday, Sept. 5 and Saturday, Sept. 6 when the Spartans play in the HPU Volleyball Classic presented by Radisson Hotel at the Millis Center in High Point, NC. The Spartans open the tournament against Marist at 12:30 p.m. on Friday and conclude it on Saturday against South Carolina State at 10 a.m. and East Carolina at 4 p.m.

 

AGATE

UNC Greensboro def. North Carolina A&T 25-16, 25-18, 25-9

 

NCAT (0-4) (Kills-aces-blocks) - MITCHELL,Janae 5-1-0; MELLETTE,Tiffany 4-0-0; DOTSTRY,Breanne 3-0-1; WILLIAMS,Avingnon 3-0-1; GRAY,Aundia 2-0-2; LYNCH,Carrie 1-0-0; GRAY,Jordan 1-0-0; MCCASKILL,Bridget 1-0-0; Totals 20-1-3.0. (Assists) - GRAY,Jordan 16. (Dig leaders) - INMAN,Amber 7; GRAY,Jordan 6

 

UNCG (2-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Branagan Fuller 8-0-0; Catherine Hanners 6-0-1; Emily Lindborg 5-0-3; Kayren Finney 4-0-4; Luciana Shafer 4-0-2; Alissa Beaudway 3-0-2; Kimiko Naito 2-0-0; Caley Redden 1-0-1; Lisa Fawell 0-1-0; Kayleigh Knerr 0-4-0; Totals 33-5-7.0. (Assists) - Kimiko Naito 19. (Dig leaders) - Branagan Fuller 10; Kayleigh Knerr 9; Catherine Hanners 8