UNCG 3, Samford 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Behind a double-double from senior Caley Redden, UNCG swept two-time defending North Division champion Samford, 3-0 (25-16, 30-28, 25-20), in the Southern Conference opener for both schools on Friday night in Fleming Gymnasium.
With the win, the Spartans improved to 13-3 on the year and 1-0 in SoCon play, while Samford fell to 6-9 this season and 0-1 in the league. It marked the fifth-straight win for the Spartans this season and the seventh time this year UNCG has swept a team.
Redden led the Spartan charge offensively as she tied for a match-high 12 kills and added a match-high 10 digs for a double-double. Ariel Newman also had double-digit kills with 10, while Ari Lysacek had a team-high 33 assists on the evening. Olivia Humphries and Billi Baker each added eight kills apiece for the Spartans.
Lauren Hutchinson paced the Bulldogs with 12 kills, while Katie Murphy and Allie Bettinger added nine and eight kills, respectively. Hillary Fountain had a match-high 37 assists, as well.
In the opening set, the two sides kept it close as UNCG held a narrow 10-8 early in the set. The Spartans took the next four points to go ahead 14-8 and take control of the set. Samford battled back to pull within 15-12, but that was as close as the Bulldogs would get the rest of the set as UNCG won the set, 25-16.
In the second set, Samford took control early and led for nearly the entire set. The Bulldogs took an early 4-1 on a kill by Hutchinson and went on to extend their lead to 16-11 midway through the set.
After a UNCG timeout, the Spartan won the next three points on a kill by Humphries and two Samford errors to make it 16-14. The two teams continued to trade points as Samford led late, 22-20. UNCG won the next three points to take its first lead of the set at 23-22. The Bulldogs then won the next two points to have set point at 24-23, but UNCG called a timeout and then tied the match at 24 on a kill by Alissa Beaudway.
The Spartans fought off three more set points by Samford before taking a 28-27 lead on a kill by Redden. The Bulldogs tied the match at 28 before UNCG got a kill from Billi Baker and took advantage of a Samford attack error to win the set, 30-28.
The two sides once again found themselves trading points to begin the set. The teams were tied at 10 after a UNCG error before the Spartans won five of the next six points to take a 15-11 advantage. The Bulldogs fought back to make it 17-15, but UNCG held strong at the end and closed out the match with a kill by Redden to win the set, 25-20.
The Spartans will return to action on Saturday as UNCG hosts Chattanooga for a 5 p.m. contest in Fleming Gymnasium.
College of Charleston 3, Western Carolina 1
CULLOWHEE, N.C. -The College of Charleston volleyball team improved to 2-0 in Southern Conference play with a 3-1 victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts Friday night at the Ramsey Center (25-17, 25-19, 25-27, 25-17).
Sophomore Kelly Kolich led the offensive attack, tying her career-high with 14 kills and Cole Dawley recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 40 assists and 13 digs. In addition to Kolich, juniors Sarah Havel and Elyse Chubb also recorded 10 kills apiece.
The Cougars (12-4) came out quickly, hitting .441 in the first set. In the second set they continued their play on offense and raised their defense a notch, holding the Catamounts (4-11) to a .098 hitting efficiency.
The Cougars scored the first six points of the third set and jumped out to a big lead. Keper was able to put in many athletes that don't see a lot of playing time, but the Catamounts capitalized off the youthfulness of the Cougars and came back to win the set 27-25 and force a fourth set.
In the fourth set the Cougars regained their focus and finished off the match on the power of Chubb's four kills on five attempts and three team blocks.
The Cougars return home on Sunday at 1p.m. to face North Carolina A&T at Carolina First Arena.
Georgia Southern 3, Wofford 2
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Five Eagles posted double-digit kill performances propelling Georgia Southern over Southern Conference rival Wofford 3-2 (25-20, 24-26, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13) Friday night at Benjamin Johnson Arena to open the conference slate. Winning its sixth match straight, Georgia Southern improved to 9-6 overall and 1-0 in league play.
Junior Bethany Sanford continued her impressive play, earning her 10th double-double of the season amassing 18 kills and 14 digs. Sanford was followed in double-figures by Moriah Bellissimo with 14, Enjoli Johnson with 13, Parker Small with 12 and Hannah Nelson with 11. Bellissimo added 17 digs to mark her fourth double-double of the season, while junior Ashley Roe anchored the defense with 26 digs. Sophomore Kate Van Dyk registered 63 assists servicing the offense.
Both teams opened strong in the first set unloading their highest hitting percentages of the match. Bellissimo, Johnson and Sanford each posted four kills in the set to only two errors combined, pacing the Eagles to a 25-20 set win. Georgia Southern took the lead at 15-14 after a bad set from Terrier Tara Gough, but Wofford (10-8, 0-1) knotted the score immediately with a kill from Arden Anderson. An Eagle kill from Sanford put the Eagles back in front as Georgia Southern pulled away with a four-point lead, 20-16, following a Johnson kill. The Eagles secured the opening frame on a Van Dyke kill.
Wofford raced out to a 4-0 lead in the second set, and despite the Eagles holding a late 20-17 lead, Wofford took the set, 26-24 to even the match. The second frame saw six lead changes and 12 ties. Bellissimo led the Eagle offense with five kills as Small led the defense with two blocks.
Sanford unleashed six kills in the third set leading Georgia Southern to a 25-22 victory. The Eagles climbed out to an early 5-1 lead jumpstarted by a pair of Sanford kills to open the frame. Wofford evened the score at 5-5 and tied the score five more times, but the Eagles rallied late, closing the set on a 7-4 run.
Johnson hit .714 in the fourth frame, but Wofford edged Georgia Southern, 25-21, to even the match at 2-all. The Eagles held a 3-point advantage early on, but following an 8-8 tie, the Terriers went on a 9-2 run to gain a seven-point lead at 17-10. Wofford closed the set on a Catelyn Amende kill to force a deciding fifth set.
Limiting the Terriers to a -.107 hitting percentage in the final set, Georgia Southern claimed the match with a 15-13 fifth set win. A Wofford attack error evened the set at 2-apiece as the Eagles posted six unanswered points to claim an 8-2 lead. Five Terrier attack errors fueled the run, but Wofford was able to inch back to within one point at 14-13. Wofford's eighth attack error of the set sealed the Georgia Southern win.
The Eagles return to the court tomorrow facing the 2009 South Division regular season champion Furman. Match time is slated for 7 p.m. on Sept. 25. Live stats and live streaming will be available on Furman's official athletics website.