Elon 3, UNCG 2
ELON, N.C. – After falling to UNCG earlier this season in a tight five-set match, the Elon volleyball team returned the favor with a thrilling 3-2 (25-12, 25-27, 22-25, 25-14, 15-13) win tonight, Nov. 11, in Alumni Gym. The Phoenix improves to 18-13 (6-9 SoCon), while the Spartans fall to 15-16 (7-8 SoCon).
Senior Caroline Lemke and freshman Chanelle Smith each recorded 16 kills to lead the Phoenix. Junior Celia Rose Eddy and freshman Danielle Smith also earned double-digit kills with 10 each. Senior Megan McMahon set the offense with a total of 49 assists.
On defense, Eddy and senior Traci Stewart each earned three blocks. Junior Ali Deatsch recorded 14 digs, while C. Smith earned double-double with 13 digs to go along with her 16 kills.
In the first set, Elon jumped out to a strong 8-0 lead off two kills by both Eddy and C. Smith. Up by six, 10-4, the Phoenix scored seven unanswered, which included back-to-back kills by sophomore Cali Estes, for a 13-point lead. Elon extended its advantage to 16 after a three-point run that moved the score to 23-7. The Spartans attempted a comeback, scoring five of the next six points to pull within 12. A kill by Eddy would stop UNCG and win the set for the maroon and gold, 25-12.
The second set went back and forth with the score tied every other point until Elon took a two-point advantage, 10-8, off a kill by C. Smith. With the Phoenix holding a three-point lead, 16-13, the Spartans went on a four-point run to take a 17-16 advantage. UNCG would go on to win the tight set, 27-25, to tie the match going into the break.
At the beginning of the third set, kills by Lemke, C. Smith and freshman Kris Harris helped Elon to an 8-4 lead. The Spartans put together four unanswered points to tie the set at eight-all, forcing the Phoenix to call its first timeout. The points would fall back and forth for the remainder of the set until a kill by the Spartans’ Karrian Chambers put UNCG up 23-22. The Spartans won the final two points for a 25-22 third-set victory.
The fourth set started in favor of the Spartans, 4-3, before a four-point run put the Phoenix up by three, 7-4. After UNCG cut the Elon lead to two, 12-10, the maroon and gold put together an impressive 11-point run off three kills by Lemke, one by Stewart and two aces from Deatsch for a 23-10 lead. The Spartans were not able to rally from that large of a deficit as a kill by McMahon sent the match into a deciding fifth set with a 25-14 win.
A kill by Eddy helped the Phoenix jump out to a three-point lead, 6-3, early in the fifth set. The Spartans answered with three straight to tie it at six-all, forcing an Elon timeout. With the set still tied, 7-7, three straight attack errors by UNCG put the Phoenix back up by three, 10-7. The Spartans would stop the Phoenix at set point three times, pulling within one, 14-13, until a kill by D. Smith clinched the set, 15-13, and the match win.
Furman 3, Georgia Southern 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Georgia Southern Volleyball team (17-14, 9-6) fell 3-1 to Furman (19-8, 12-3) in a highly contested 25-21, 25-21, 12-25, 25-20 match which featured 37 ties and 16 lead changes before it was all said and done. The Eagles out hit the Paladins .207 to .178 but tallied only 47 kills to Furman's 58.
Bethany Sanford and Meredith Paskert both tallied double figure kills and accounted for nearly half of GSU's kills. Sanford led the team with 13, while Paskert added 12 kills.
Moriah Bellissimo recorded a team-high 28 digs to help the Eagles hold Furman to a zero hitting percentage in the third set. Sanford added 12 digs along with Hayli Ketner to go along with Kate Van Dyke's 15 digs.
Georgia Southern was held to below a .200 hitting percentage in the first two sets and fell 25-21 in both. The Eagles rallied back to stave off the three-set sweep, winning the set 25-12 behind a .343 hitting percentage. GSU could not muster a repeat performance of the third set and fell 25-20.
Kelly Kirby posted a triple-double with 16 kills, 22 assists and 16 digs to lead Furman in their 12th SoCon win. Natalie Braun added a second triple-double with 11 kills, 29 assists and 12 digs. The two players accounted for 27 kills, 51 assists and 28 digs.
The Georgia Southern Volleyball team returns to action tomorrow night when they face Wofford at nearby Converse College. The match starts at 6 p.m. and all football fans attending the Georgia Southern vs Wofford game are encouraged to attend.