SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Junior setter Cole Dawley (Charleston, S.C.) notched a match-high 29 assists and added 12 digs and sophomore middle blocker Sarah Havel (Carmel, Ind.) drilled 14 kills as the College of Charleston (16-11, 12-3) clinched a berth in the 2009 Southern Conference Volleyball Tournament with a 3-0 win over Wofford (17-14, 4-11) on Friday, November 13. The Cougars claimed the match by scores of 25-16, 25-18 and 25-23.
After working their way out to a narrow 7-6 lead early on in Game 1, CofC used a 12-3 run, fueled by nine straight points, to take a commanding 19-9 advantage. The Cougars then held off a Terrier rally to close the set at 25-16 and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The second set proved to be a slightly more competitive affair as the College of Charleston once again clawed out a one point lead, 9-8, before pulling away midway through the frame. An 8-3 stretch, led by a pair of kills each from Dawley and Havel, then extended the lead to 17-11. Wofford closed to within four points at 18-14 but would get no closer as six kills down the stretch locked up a 25-18 decision for the Cougars.
It was a far different contest in Game 3 as the Terriers grabbed an early 11-6 lead before a 6-2 run then narrowed the margin to 13-12. Three consecutive kills from Wofford, two from junior outside hitter Stacy Byrd, then helped push the lead to 17-13. CofC rallied once again, this time behind a pair of kills from Havel, to close to 17-16 before the Terriers own 3-0 spurt made it 20-16.
Four straight points then knotted the set for the Cougars, forcing a Wofford timeout. Coming out of the break, the teams traded the next six points to deadlock at 23-23. Another kill by Havel, followed by a Terrier error then put the set, and the match, away at 25-23. With the victory, the College of Charleston holds off Georgia Southern for second place in the South Division and one of the final two bids for the 2009 Southern Conference Tournament.
Freshman middle blocker Arden Anderson led Wofford with eight kills, a .500 hitting percentage and a match-high five blocks while senior setter Joanna Suddath setup the offense with 24 assists and added five kills and five digs. Junior right side hitter Catelyn Amende chipped in with seven kills and a .462 hitting percentage while senior libero Sarah Palmer led the defense with a match-high tying 14 digs.
Cole Dawley's tenth double-double of the season led the way for the College of Charleston as she dished out a match-best 29 assists and had 12 digs to go along with six kills while Havel's 14 kills fueled the offense. Junior right side hitter Ginny Phillips (Raleigh, N.C.) had a solid all-around match as she finished with eight kills, seven assists and seven digs and junior libero Paige Johnson (Sleepy Hollow, Ill.) produced a match-high tying 14 digs to lead the Cougars' defensive effort.
The Cougars wrap up the regular season tomorrow afternoon when they take on South Division Champion Furman at 2 p.m. in Alley Gym. The Paladins have won their last 16 straight matches and are 15-0 in the Southern Conference. The match will serve as a preview for CofC as Furman has earned the right to host the conference tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.
NOTES
The victory is the 25 straight over Wofford and stretches the Cougars' all-time mark against the Terriers to 27-1 ... it also secures the program's 11 straight bid to the Southern Conference Tournament.