UNCG 3, North Carolina Central 1

UNCG 3, Liberty 2

DURHAM, N.C. - After downing host N.C. Central in four sets (25-14, 19-25, 25-17, 25-16) Friday, the UNCG volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to knock off defending Big South champion and preseason favorite Liberty 3-2 (15-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-13) at the North Carolina Central Volleyball Invitational inside McDougald-McClendon Gymnasium.

Senior setter Ari Lysacek produced the Spartans' first double-double of the season against the Flames, tallying 44 assists to go along with 12 digs. She almost produced a triple-double, putting down nine kills. The outside hitter tandem of junior Karrian Chambers and freshman Lauren Betlach carried the offensive load, combining for 33 kills on 77 attempts with just nine errors between them. Additionally, junior Kellie Orewiler, the reigning Southern Conference Libero of the Year, corralled 24 digs to lead three UNCG players in double figures as freshman Katherine Santiago picked up 10 to go along with Lysacek's 12.

For the second-straight match, the Spartans hit efficiently, recording 63 kills on 162 attempts while committing just 23 errors for a .247 mark. UNCG also held the upper hand in digs (75-69) and total blocks (7.0-3.0).

The Spartans jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead when Lysacek put down a kill, but Liberty fought back and would put together a 12-4 run to push in front on a Morgan Freeman attack error. UNCG would pull within 13-10, but the Flames responded with four-straight points to force a Spartan timeout at 17-10. UNCG could not recover, dropping the set 25-15.

Caroline Douglas gave Liberty a quick 5-1 advantage in the second frame before a Chambers kill knotted the score at seven. Betlach kept the Spartans in front by a point at 15-14 with a kill later in the interval, but Douglas made sure the Flames would reach 20 first, posting a kill to put her squad in front by a pair of points. Becca Haraf gave Liberty its first set point at 24-20 via a service ace, but UNCG answered with three straight to make the Flames use both of their allotted timeouts. Despite the rally, Liberty used an Ansley Gebben kill to hold off the Spartans and take a 2-0 match lead.

UNCG blitzed the Flames at the start of the third set, scoring nine of the first 12 points to force a timeout. Liberty would respond, however, pulling to within 13-7 on a Haley Jeffcoat service ace. The Spartans stayed comfortably in front, 18-10, when the Flames committed an attack error, but a Kendall Rollins kill capped a 7-2 run and made the scoreline 20-17. Liberty drew to within two at 21-19, but UNCG scored four of the last six points of the frame to stay alive in the match.

The Spartans used their first timeout of the fourth set with the score deadlocked at nine, but UNCG forced a timeout from its opponent leading 15-13. A Haley ace tied the frame at 17 before the Spartans built a 21-18 advantage on a Flame miscue. Liberty could come no closer than two the rest of the way as UNCG forced a deciding set.

The Flames scored the first two points of the fifth interval, but the Spartans buckled down and made Liberty take a timeout when a Kelsey Sidney solo block put UNCG in front, 10-6. Liberty responded with four consecutive scores to tie the set at 10, however, Betlach gave the Spartans the lead back with a kill. The teams traded points until, with each team at 13, kills by redshirt junior Olivia Humphries and Betlach sealed the match for UNCG.

In the win over the Eagles, Humphries paced the Spartan offense with 10 kills while Orewiler racked up 11 digs to lead the back-row effort. Humphries committed just two attack errors on 16 attempts to finish with a .500 mark in her first match since the 2010 season. Lysacek put in a solid all-around performance, tallying 26 assists to go along with seven digs and four service aces.

The Spartans ended up with a .262 hitting mark with 39 kills to go along with 11 aces. UNCG also topped N.C. Central in digs by a 46-38 count and total blocks to the tune of 4.0-2.0.

Lysacek's ace in the first set put the Spartans in front 8-1 and they did not look back, cruising to a 25-14 frame win.

The Eagles responded in the second interval, using a Christine Anthony ace to move in front, 10-5. UNCG rallied, making the score 17-14 in favor of the home team - which used a timeout. The Spartans made it a one-point affair on a N.C. Central attack error at 17-16, but scored just three points the rest of the frame, allowing the Eagles to knot the match at one set apiece.

The third interval was tight throughout the beginning, but with the score tied at nine, UNCG went on a significant scoring run, taking a 20-12 advantage which all but put the set away. N.C. Central could come no closer than seven as the Spartans clinched the third frame by a 25-17 score.

The home team secured the first two points of the fourth set, but a subsequent Betlach ace saw the visitors take a 9-5 lead which was accompanied by an Eagle timeout. It would prove fruitless as UNCG did not look back - clinching the match by a 25-16 score.

The Spartans close the weekend Saturday with a match against Hampton. First serve is slated for 11 a.m.

College of Charleston 3, Sacramento State 1

CHARLESTON, S.C. - College of Charleston unveiled a new offensive look and some new personnel en route to a 3-1 win over Sacramento State at home to open the 2012 season.

After winning the first set, 25-20, College of Charleston (1-0) fell in the second set 25-18. The Hornets from Sacramento State (0-1) held a lead for most of the third set before the Cougars came back to win 25-23, and CofC fought for a 25-22 win in the deciding fourth game.

Junior Darcy Dorton led the way for College of Charleston with a match-high 23 kills and 18 digs for her first double-double with her new team. Sophomore Sloane White hit an efficient .367 as she landed 14 kills and made three blocks for CofC.

Making her first start in her CofC career, sophomore Catey Warren led the squad with six blocks to go with five kills, both career highs. Sophomore Lizzie Theesfeld made nine kills while freshman Kari Fidelholtz landed five kills and made four blocks.

Defensively, four different players hit double digits in digs as the Cougars made 82 team digs to just 65 for Sacramento State. Senior Emily Shelton led the way with 20 scoops and Dorton added 18. Andi Zbojniewicz, who made her career debut at libero in the third set, came just one dig away from her career high as tallied 20. Kallie McKown made 11 digs as she split setter responsibilities with Taeler Davis. Davis made 26 assists to McKown's 23 successful sets.

The Hornets were led by the 19 kills of Jessie Genger. Janelle Currey made 10 kills and 14 digs. Olivia Moss led Sacramento State with eight blocks while Kayla Beal contributed six blocks. Sacramento State out-blocked CofC 14-12, but the Cougars ended with a better hitting percentage (.255-.144) thanks to a 62-47 advantage in kills.

The Cougars broke open a 7-7 tie in the first set with a nine-point run punctuated by back-to-back kills from Kerstin Koehler. The Hornets would pull to within 23-20, but Koehler ended the Sacramento State run with a kill and finished the set with a block.

Sacramento State established a four-point lead early in the second set (10-6), and the Cougars never fully made it back to even as the Hornets outhit CofC and recorded three blocks in the set, eventually winning 25-18.

Despite falling behind 7-1 in the third set, the Cougars slowly clawed their way back in, eventually tying the set at 18 after a Dorton kill. Two kills from White put CofC up 22-21, and a block and kill from Warren set up set point and a game-deciding kill from White.

The fourth set was just as tightly contested as the third one with neither team building a significant lead. Sacramento State attempted to pull away with a four-point run that opened an 18-14 lead, but College of Charleston rallied and tied the set at 19 after a block from Fidelholtz and Warren. Warren scored all three of the Cougars' final points on a block assist, kill and solo block that sealed the match victory.

College of Charleston continues in the Hampton Inn & Suites West Ashley Invitational tomorrow with a noon match against Jacksonville, and a 7 p.m. bout versus N.C. State.

Chattanooga 3, Alcorn State 0

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team opened the 2012 slate with a 3-0 win over Alcorn State Friday night in the second match of the Country Inns & Suites Invitational.

Senior Heather Parman headed the assault in the convincing three-set win over the Lady Braves with nine kills on 18 attacks. Senior Christina Teter followed up with 11 attacks and seven kills for a .636 kill percentage, and senior Paula Passmore was stellar on defense with 12 receptions and a team-high 11 digs.

Junior Bridget Camacho added 27 assists from the setter position, and freshmen Sarah Batterton and Julimar Alvarado collected six kills each to begin their collegiate careers.

The Mocs only allowed three Alcorn State scores in the first set with a 25-3 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Trailing 1-0 to begin the set, Chattanooga went on a 10-1 run to jump out in front. Teter recorded four kills in the set and Passmore retrieved six spikes.  Sophomore Kasey Talley  took over the serve with a 12-3 lead and UTC never looked back. Talley finished off the set with 14 attempts and two service aces. Batterton also dropped in her first two college aces during the set.

The Lady Braves picked up the pace in the second set to cut the score closer, but Chattanooga continued to dominate with a 25-12 win in set two. Camacho began the set with back-to-back aces against the Alcorn State defense. Three-straight service errors gave the Lady Braves their first three points, but the Mocs offense totaled a match-high 14 kills in the set to put UTC in front 2-0. Parman tallied four kills while Alvarado and Batterton each collected three kills in the set. Camacho also set a match-best 11 assists for Mocs' hitters in the second set.

Chattanooga took the set-win 3-0 in repeat fashion with a second straight 25-12 win in third frame. 

With a much tighter score late in the set, Alcorn State trailed by as little as two points halfway through set three, but the Mocs went on a 13-2 run to claim the match. Alvarado and Batterton paced the UTC offense in the set with three kills each and freshman Catherine Chason contributed with two digs, an assist and a service ace.

The Mocs continue in the Country Inns & Suites Invitational tomorrow with a 12:30 p.m. (E.D.T.) match against USC Upstate and will wrap up the home-tournament with a 7 p.m. start against Tennessee Tech's Golden Eagles.

Furman 3, Middle Tennessee State 0

UC Davis 3, Furman 0 

MURFREESBORO, TENN. - Senior Chandler Ambrester hit .385 with 15 kills to lead the Furman volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-23) victory over Middle Tennessee State at the Blue Raider Dash Friday afternoon in Murfreesboro, Tenn., in the season opener for both teams.  It was the Paladins' first opening match-win since 2008.

The teams remained closely matched at the beginning of the first set, before Furman won four straight points, using a service ace from senior Natalie Braun and a kill by sophomore Christina Dorismond to build an 8-5 advantage.  The Paladins eventually led 15-10, but the Blue Raiders cut the deficit to two at 17-15.  Furman went on a 6-2 run to take a 23-17 lead, and a final kill from senior Natalie Braun gave the Paladins a 25-20 first-set victory. 

Furman broke open a 4-4 tie at the start of set two, using a 12-3 run to take a 16-7 lead.  The Blue Raiders never could cut the lead to less than seven points, as the Paladins cruised to a 25-14 set win to lead 2-0 at the break.

MTSU built an early 10-7 lead in the third set, but Furman rallied to tie the set at 12-apiece.  Following eight ties, the teams remained deadlocked at 19, but the Paladins took advantage of three Blue Raider attack errors for a 22-19 lead.  MTSU answered with three-straight points, again tying the set.  The teams traded kills to push the score to 23-23, before back-to-back kills by Dorismond and Ambrester clinched the 25-23 victory for the Paladins.

Dorismond hit .381 and notched 10 kills in the victory, while Braun added a team-high 12 digs plus seven kills.  Junior libero Elle Ross collected 11 digs for Furman, and freshman Jo Wilks paced the Paladins with 35 assists in her collegiate debut. 

MTSU (1-0) was led by Ashley Adams, who tallied 12 kills and two block solos.  Bri McCombs had a team-high 11 digs, and Alylssa Ivey posted 18 assists.

UC Davis (1-0) defeated the Paladins 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-20) in the second match of Friday's twin bill.  Furman jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead in the opening set, but the Aggies fought back to take a 9-8 advantage.  The teams were tied at 15 when UC Davis claimed four-consecutive points to gain momentum.  The Paladins cut the lead to two at 23-21, but could come no closer as the Aggies took a 25-22 first set victory.

Furman led 4-2 in the second set before UC Davis went on a 9-2 run to lead 11-6, on their way to an eventual 25-19 win.  The teams battled through 12 ties and four lead changes in the third set.  With the Paladins leading 16-15, the Aggies put together a crucial 4-0 run to take a 19-16 advantage.  Furman came within two points at 21-19, but UC Davis reeled off three-straight points to put the match out of reach.

Ambrester again paced the team with 15 kills, and Braun notched a team-high 11 digs and nine kills.  Ross added 10 digs, while Adams hit .471 with eight kills.  Wilks tallied 39 assists in the loss.

On Saturday, Furman (1-1) will face UAB at 4 p.m. and Texas San Antonio at 9 p.m. to conclude the tournament.

Rutgers 3, Samford 2

CORAL GABLES, Fla. ---- Down 2-0 in the season opener, the Bulldogs were resilient and fought back to force a fifth set but could not complete the comeback, as they fell 3-2 against Rutgers in the opening match of the Hurricane Invitational.

The Samford (0-1) attack was limited by 26 errors, as they earned a .250 clip with 71 kills in 180 swings.  Neisler led the offense with 19 kills while four others were in double digits.  Michaela Reesor notched a double-double with 13 kills and 17 digs while Casey Garvey earned a personal-best 61 assists, completing the double-double with 13 digs as well.  Rutgers (1-0) hit .232 with 64 kills, with Alex Lassa leading both teams with 20 kills.

The Scarlet Knights went on an 8-3 run to begin the opening frame, but the Bulldogs fought back to tie the set at 10-10 and then take the lead with the 11th point.  Samford started to take momentum in the middle of the set, as they pulled ahead 16-12 to force a Rutgers timeout.  The Scarlet Knights fought back in the late stages however, as they tied it at 21-21 to force a Samford timeout.  The teams traded points out of the break as Rutgers reached set point first, up 24-23.  A Samford attack error ended the set with Rutgers taking the slim 25-23 set one victory.

The teams were even through the beginning of set two, as neither could maintain a scoring rally and gain a significant lead.  Samford built a two-point lead as a Reesor service ace put the Bulldogs up 20-18, forcing Rutgers to take at timeout.  The Scarlet Knights took three quick points out of the break to move up 21-20, but a kill by Murphy tied the game back up.  Down 23-21, Samford looked to regroup with a late timeout.  A Neisler kill gave the Bulldogs possession, down 24-23, but a Samford blocking error gave Rutgers the 25-23 set two win.

Samford took the early 3-0 lead in set three, but that would be the largest lead for the Bulldogs until they moved up 17-14.  Out of a late timeout, a hard-hit ball by Devaughn tied the match up at 23-23.  Rutgers came back with a kill to reach match point, but a kill by Murphy and a service ace by Reesor put Samford at set point, up 25-24.  With Samford up 27-26, a Rutgers service error allowed the Bulldogs to avoid the sweep and take set three.

With their momentum renewed from the previous set, the Bulldogs pulled ahead to a 5-1 lead to begin the fourth frame.  Samford maintained the four-point lead and stretched it to five on a kill by Bauer, forcing the Scarlet Knights to regroup with a timeout as the Bulldogs led 12-7.  Up 16-8, Samford knocked in four consecutive kills, including two aces by Chelsi Carter, to move up 20-8.  Up 22-14, Samford put together a 3-0 run to take the fourth set 25-14.

The action was back-and-forth in the final frame with the Bulldogs earning the 8-6 edge as the teams switched sides in the middle of the set.  The Scarlet Knights charged back however, as they pulled ahead 12-10 to force a Bulldog timeout.  The Bulldogs could only muster one point after the break however as they ultimately fell 15-11.

Samford resumes play tomorrow, first facing Ole Miss at 10 a.m. ET and then host team Miami at 7 p.m. ET.

Hampton 3, Elon 2

Bradley 3, Elon 0

DURHAM, N.C. - The Elon volleyball team struggled today, August 24, as it opened up the season in the Hilton RTP/NCCU Tournament. The Phoenix battled in a hard fought five-set match against Hampton, falling 3-2 (16-25, 25-23, 25-23, 24-26, 9-15), and then struggled against Bradley as the maroon and gold dropped its second match of the day, 3-0 (22-25, 12-25, 16-25).

Junior Maggie Reichard started the match off strong against Hampton with an ace as Elon took the very early 1-0 lead. From there, the Pirates took over, causing Elon to call its first timeout down 10-5. Out of the timeout, sophomore Chanelle Smith recorded a kill to pull Elon within four but Hampton then pulled away with a 20-13 lead. The Phoenix was not able to catch up as the Pirates took the first set, 25-16.

In the second set, the Pirates took a strong 6-1 lead out of the gate, but the Phoenix used a 7-1 run, which included kills by C. Smith, sophomore Danielle Smith and freshman Megan Gravley, to take a one-point lead, 8-7. The set went back and forth until Hampton scored three straight for a 17-14 lead and caused the maroon and gold to use its first timeout. Elon then scored the next three with an ace from senior Ali Deatsch and a kill by C. Smith to tie the set at 17-all. With the set still tied, 23-23, the Phoenix scored the next two points off Hampton errors to win the set, 25-23, and tie the match.

Hampton continued its strong opening play with a 6-1 lead in the third set. Elon then went on a two-point run to cut the deficit to four, 8-4, before the Pirates scored three straight to make it 11-4 and force a Phoenix timeout. Out of the timeout, the maroon and gold went on a six-point run off kills from Gravley and senior Celia Rose Eddy, a strong defensive block and an ace by C. Smith to pull within one, 11-10. After a Pirate timeout, the Phoenix continued its run with three straight, including another ace by C. Smith, for a two-point lead, 13-11. After Hampton tied the set, 15-all, a kill by D. Smith helped Elon to a 17-15 lead, With the Phoenix leading, 20-17, the Pirates came back to tie the set at 22. An ace by Eddy then put the maroon and gold up one and helped the Phoenix to another 25-23 set win.

After the Pirates took a 10-6 lead to start the fourth set, a kill by Gravley tied the set at 13. Hampton was able to take a two-point lead, 21-19, and force an Elon timeout. With the set at tied at 22-all, the Pirates scored the next two to earn set point, 24-22. Elon came back to score two straight points and keep the set alive, but Hampton followed with the last two points to win, 26-24, and send the match into a deciding fifth set.

A kill by Gravley in the fifth set pulled the Phoenix within one, 6-5, before the Pirates went on a 4-1 run for a 10-6 lead. After a kill by D. Smith made it an 11-8 set in favor in of Hampton, the Pirates scored three straight to receive match point, 14-8. Hampton would go on to win the set, 15-9, and the match, 3-2.

Elon was led by Gravley, who recorded 16 kills, while D. Smith and C. Smith and Eddy followed with 12, 11 and 10 kills respectively. On defense, Deatsch led all players with 24 digs. C. Smith also recorded four aces and 11 digs to record her first double-double of the season.

For the Pirates, sophomore Krista Kraskura recorded an impressive 30 kills off 58 attempts with five errors to hit .431.

Down by three in the first set against Bradley, 12-9, two kills by sophomore Kris Harris and a block by Harris and freshman Chelsea Rafetto helped the Phoenix tie the set at 13-all. After the Braves took a 17-14 lead and forced Elon to take its first timeout, a kill by D. Smith helped cut the Phoenix deficit to one, 18-17. Down three, 23-20, another ace by C. Smith pull the maroon and gold within two, but Bradley was able to hang on for the 25-22 first-set win.

The Braves were able to take a strong lead early in the second set off a six-point run that put them up by seven, 10-4. Bradley continued with strong hitting and defense to take the set victory, 25-12.

Kills by senior Allison Johnson and Eddy helped keep the Phoenix in the third set early. However, a span of four straight points by Bradley helped the Braves to a 14-6 lead and forced Elon's first timeout. Down 18-8, the maroon and gold went on a 3-1 run to cut the deficit to eight, 19-11. However, the Phoenix was not able to complete the full comeback and fell in the third and final set, 25-16.

Eddy led the maroon and gold on offense, hitting .778 after seven kills off nine attempts and no errors. Gravley also recorded seven kills, while D. Smith finished with six.

Elon will resume play in the Hilton RTP/NCCU Tournament tomorrow, August 25, with a 2:30 p.m. match against Liberty.

Rutgers 3, Wofford 2

Miami 3, Wofford 0

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -  The Wofford volleyball dropped a five set match to Rutgers, 3-2 (24-26, 23-25, 25-17, 25-23, 15-12) despite a career-high 16 kill performance from Arden Anderson Friday afternoon in the Hurricane Invitational.

Wofford falls to 0-2 after losing the first match of the tournament, 3-0, to host Miami.

Rutgers jumped out to a 5-3 lead, but the Terriers rallied with a 6-0 run to take a 9-5 highlighted by a Kelsey Bagwell ace and a Wendy Burnett kill.  An Amanda Liguori a kill gave the set the score of 11-7.  Rutgers cut the lead to 11-9 on an ace from Stephanie Zielinski, but Liguori recorded a kill and Jessica Graham had back-to-back aces to push the Wofford lead out to 14-9.  Rutgers mounted a 6-2 run sparked by kills Alex Lassa and Alex Jones to trim the lead to 16-15.  Rutgers managed to tie the match with a kill from Jones, but Liguori and Arden Anderson answered with kills to give Wofford a 20-18 lead.  Rutgers tied the match with back-to-back kills from Kylie Orr.  The two teams traded points before Orr aced the Terriers to give the Scarlet Knights a 22-21 advantage, but Anderson answered for the Terriers with her third kill to retie the set at 22.  After the teams traded points, Wofford took advantage of a Rutgers ball handling error and Bekah Dorsey kill gave the Terriers the 26-24 win.

Wofford opened the second set with a block and a kill by Woodlee and a kill by Taylor Baird to give the Terriers a 6-3 lead.  The Scarlet Knights answered with a 5-0 run highlighted by two kills from Schmid and an ace from Adriana McLamb to take an 8-6 lead.  The lead hit three at 10-7, 12-9 and 10-13 before an ace by Zielinski and a Terrier attack error gave the Scarlet Knights a 15-10.  Following a Terrier timeout, Wofford used a Scarlet Knight at service error, a Burnett kill and block by Dorsey and Burnett to go on a 5-1 run and cut the lead to 16-15.  Following a Scarlet Knight timeout, Rutgers went on a 2-0 run sparked by a Jones kill to take an 18-15 lead.  A Woodlee kill and a block by Baird and Burnett pulled Wofford within one, 18-17.  Following a Rutgers kill, Burnett and Kelsey Bagwell recorded kills to tie the set at 19.  With the score tied at 22, Woodlee used the block for a kill and an ace from Reagan Styles gave the Terriers a 24-22 lead.  Rutgers answered with a kill from Jones, but Woodlee gave the Terriers a two set lead as she ended the match with a kill, 25-23.

Rutgers came in the third set and took an 8-4 lead and would pull ahead to 16-8 with a kill from Schmid and a Wofford attack error. Taylor Baird had a cross court kill to make score 16-9.  The Scarlet Knights continued to extend the lead as they pulled ahead 19-10 on a block from Zielinski and Jones.  The lead hit double-digits on the next play with an ace from Lassa.  Two kills by Liquori sparked a 4-0 Terrier run as they cut the lead to 20-14.  Anderson had a block assists and kill during the run.  However, the Scarlet Knights held on for the set three win, 25-17.

The two teams traded points to start the fourth set before Rutgers took a slim 4-2 lead.  A Bagwell ace put the Terriers on a 5-1 run as they took an 8-6 lead.  Rutgers answered with a kill from Schmid and a block by Zielinski and Schmid to tie the set at eight.  An Anderson kill, a block by Anderson and Liguori and a Bidgood kill put the Terriers ahead 11-8.  The Rutgers responded with a 7-0 run to take a 15-11 lead.  Bidgood ended the run with a kill and Anderson followed on the next point with a kill as the Terriers answered with a 7-1 run to take a 18-16 lead.  Rutgers came out of a timeout and earned a point on a Wofford net violation, but Burnett and Bidgood combined for a block to hold the Wofford lead at 19-17.  Rutgers rallied to tie the set on kill and a block from Schmid and Lassa, but Anderson answered with back-to-back kills to give the Terriers a 23-21 lead.  Back-to-back Scarlet Knight kills tied the match at 23, and a following an unlucky bounce off a lighting fixture Rutgers held a 24-23 lead.  Rutgers ended the set on a kill by Jones to even the match and two sets apiece.

The final set saw Rutgers jump out to a 3-0 lead on an ace, a kill by Lassa and block by Lass and Schmid.  Wofford got their first point from a Wendy Burnett solo point sparked a 5-1 Wofford run as the Terrier took a 5-4 lead.  The Scarlet used a kill by Zielinski and a block by Jones and Rachel Anderassian to mount a 3-0 run and take a 7-5 lead.  Following three service aces, two by Rutgers and one by Wofford, Wofford tied the set at eight on Scarlet Knight blocking error.  Trailing 10-9, Wofford took an 11-10 lead on a kill from Anderson and a Rutgers attack error.  Following a Scarlet Knight timeout, Rutgers went on a 3-0 run to take a 13-11 lead.  Wofford came out of a timeout with a kill from Woodlee, but Rutgers answered with a kill to force match point.  Rutgers ended the set and the match, 15-12, with a kill from Jones.

Anderson's career-high 16 kills paced the Terriers. She also had a .393 hitting percentage and five block assists for 18.5 points.  Woodlee followed with 11 kills, while Burnett recorded ten.  Liguori picked up 20 digs, while Styles collected 15 digs.  Dorsey passed out 27 assists, and Tara Gough handed out 19 assists.  Burnett had a six block assists and one solo block.

For Rutgers, Lassa had a match-high 23 kills, while Jones added 17 kills. Schmid tallied 16 kills.  Tracy Wright collected a match-high 27 digs, and Zielinski had 62 assists.

Wofford plays Ole Miss Saturday at 4 p.m. in its final match of the Hurricane Invitational.

Northern Kentucky 3, Western Carolina 1

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Despite the Catamounts picking up an exciting second set win that saw 15 ties and seven lead changes, Western Carolina dropped its opening season match three sets to one (20-25, 35-33, 19-25, 12-25) in front of over 100 fans in the Ramsey Center on the first night of the Western Carolina Invitational Tournament presented by Best Western Plus of Dillsboro.

Two Catamounts finished with double-doubles as Caitlin Piechota tallied 13 kills and 13 digs. Freshman Tina Nazario notched 19 digs and 31 assists in her freshman debut.

Northern Kentucky was led by Haley Lippert who had 18 kills and three block assists while Kelly Morrissey and Shelby Buschur added 15 kills apiece in the Norse's second game as a member of the NCAA's Division I.

Northern Kentucky took a one set lead going into the marathon second set. Western Carolina had the set's largest lead at four with a 20-16 lead off a block by Abbey Scroggins and Leah Butler. WCU picked up its first set point off a Northern Kentucky attack error before NKU picked up two consecutive points. From there, both teams went back and forth with NKU earning seven set points to WCU's two before the Catamounts won off a Piechota kill and an NKU set error.

From there, NKU rebounded to take control of the set and the match, winning set three by a score of 25-19 and the fourth set 25-12.

Defensively, both teams accounted for 17 total blocks with WCU tallying nine. Leah Butler and Jordan Timmermann each had four blocks - including two solos - while Addy George and Abbey Scroggins notched three apiece. George also set a career high with six kills in the match. Four Catamounts went in double-figures in the dig department led by Nazario with 19, followed by junior captain Morgan Cochran with 16, and Caitlin Piechota and freshman Elyssa Mulheron both had 13.

Tomorrow Western Carolina plays two matches as the host Catamounts face the Peacocks of St. Peter's at noon before facing off against in-state foe North Carolina A&T in the tournament finale at 6:30 pm. In between North Carolina A&T faces Northern Kentucky at 2:30 pm.

At the conclusion of the tournament a six person all-tournament team will be announced. All three matches tomorrow will be streamed live through Catamount All-Access while Game Tracker is also available on CatamountSports.com.

James Madison University 3, Appalachian State 0

HARRISONBURG, Va. -  Appalachian State University volleyball fell by a 3-0 final in its season-opening match at the James Madison Days Inn Invitational on Friday at Sinclair Gymnasium.

The Mountaineers (0-1) were downed by the Dukes (1-0) by scores of 25-8, 25-18 and 25-21, dropping the season-opener for the first time since 2009.

JMU snagged a quick 2-0 lead before the Apps drew within one on a kill from Courtney Rhein, but the lead would increase quickly as the Dukes reeled off 10-straight points to make it 12-1.

Appalachian would never trail by less than 10 points for the remained of the first set as James Madison dominated on the attack, hitting at a blistering clip of .455 in the first set.

The Apps seemed to turn the tide in the second set when, after falling behind early, they reeled off a 6-1 run to take a 14-11 lead midway through the set. JMU would claw its way back, taking an 18-17 lead as it finished the set on an 11-1 run to snag a 25-18 second-set victory.

In the third set, the Dukes would again race out to an early lead, but App State was able to keep things close in the early stages before JMU scored four-straight points to take an 18-10 lead.

The Mountaineers would close the gap to just three points (23-20) late in the final set, but James Madison was able to hang on for the 25-21 set victory and a three-set sweep.

Lindsey Sauls led the Apps with six kills on the night while newcomer Dalton Tolliver tallied five to go along with one block assist. Lauren Gray posted four kills and three block assists and Rhein led all players with a match-high 15 digs.

The Dukes were paced offensively by Natalie Abel, who tallied a match-high 13 kills to lead four Dukes who posted double-digit kill totals. Meghan Niski notched a double-double with 10 kills and 14 digs.

The Mountaineers hit just .029 percent for the match while James Madison posted a .289 attack percentage. App State finished with eight total blocks while the Dukes notched six.

Appalachian State concludes action at the JMU Days Inn Invitational tomorrow when it takes on Seton Hall at 10 a.m. before facing No. 16 Minnesota at 5 p.m.

MATCH NOTES: Rhein upped her career-dig total to 1,325 and needs just 59 more digs to move into third-place in Appalachian State history... the loss snapped a three-match winning streak against JMU dating back to Sept. 9, 1994... the Apps dropped to 173-159 all-time in regular-season tournament action and 6-5 in matches played in Harrisonburg... tomorrow's match against Seton Hall will mark the first-ever meeting between the Mountaineers and Pirates.

Georgia 3, Georgia Southern 1

ATHENS, Ga. - Junior Enjoli Johnson collected 12 kills and hit .556 in the match, but the Georgia Southern volleyball team fell 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 19-25, 25-10) to Georgia in the 2012 season opener for both teams Friday night at the Ramsey Center.

Johnson had 12 kills on 18 attempts with just two hitting errors while adding three block assists. Meredith Paskert added 10 kills, five digs and three block assists for the Eagles (0-1), while Kym Coley posted nine kills and two block assists.

Kate Van Dyke finished the night with 42 assists to go along with five digs and a pair of block assists, while Moriah Bellissimo and Alexandra Beecher each had 13 digs.

Brittany Northcutt led the Bulldogs (1-0) with 14 kills and 10 digs, and Tirah Le'au notched 12 kills and hit .414. Lauren Teknipp added 12 kills, while Allison Summers collected a match-high 21 digs.

After falling behind 2-0, the Eagles won the third set 25-19 after hitting .257 and allowing Georgia to hit .171. But the Bulldogs recovered to win the fourth set 25-10 as they hit .480 in the set and allowed just seven Eagle kills.

The first set went back and forth before the Eagles took a brief 23-22 lead on a block by Van Dyke and Paskert. But after an Eagle service error tied the score, Northcutt and Teknipp put down consecutive kills to lift the Bulldogs to a 1-0 lead.

Georgia Southern led by as many as four points in the second set and was ahead 19-16 after a Johnson kill. But Georgia rallied, winning seven straight points, including two kills from Northcutt, to open a 23-19 cushion.

The Eagles never trailed in the third set and led 12-7 following a Coley kill. A kill by Johnson made the score 17-10, and Georgia Southern was never threatened in trimming the margin to 2-1. The Bulldogs responded by racing out to a 14-4 cushion and never let the margin dip below eight points in the fourth set.

The Eagles return to action with a pair of matches tomorrow as the Benson Hospitality Bulldog Invitational continues at the Ramsey Center. Georgia Southern will face Georgia State at 10 a.m. before taking on Slovenia in an exhibition match at 4 p.m.

Northern Arizona 3, The Citadel 0

LAS VEGAS - The front row tandem of Ise d'Angelo and Rachael Farrell combined for 14 kills and eight digs, however it was Northern Arizona that completed the 25-9, 25-14, 25-18 sweep of the Bulldogs in the season-opener at the UNLV Tournament.

The Citadel (0-1) got a solid defensive outing from senior Emily Dalton, who finished with nine digs, while teammate Amanda Rudnik recorded seven. Lauren Hurt was a defensive force for the Cadets, notching four assisted blocks, followed closely by Farrell who finished with three.

Northern Arizona (1-0) was sparked by Kelli Dallman, who finished with 13 kills and a .321 hitting percentage. Sydney Kemper (nine kills) and Janae Vander Ploeg (seven kills) were integral in giving the Lumberjacks a 40-22 edge in kills.

The Lumberjacks opened strong with 12-3 run behind eight points from the service game of Vander Ploeg. The Citadel snapped the scoring run with a kill by d'Angelo and following a series of kills by Rudnik and Farrell, a 16-7 margin separated the two teams. NAU closed out the opening set by scoring nine of final 11 points, highlighted by Dallman's seven points in serve.

The two teams battled throughout the second set with the combination of Hurt and d'Angelo forcing a 4-4 tie. Northern Arizona pieced together a 6-1 run, pushing the lead to 10-6, following a Rudnik kill. The Lumberjacks extended the lead to seven, 18-11, following a series of points by Anna Gott. They maintained the advantage throughout the remainder of the set, emerging with a 25-14 advantage.

The two teams reached a 3-3 tie in the early stages of the third set before Northern Arizona scored five unanswered points behind Gott. Farrell, who was responsible for a pair of kills, teamed with d'Angelo to pull the Dogs within one point, 10-9. The Lumberjacks quickly answered with a five consecutive points, extending the lead to 15-9. The Citadel was unable to pull closer than five points over the remainder of the third set as NAU completed the sweep with a 25-18 win.

The Citadel returns to action on Saturday afternoon when they tournament host UNLV at 3 p.m. The Bulldogs close out the tournament later in the evening with an 8 p.m. match against CSU Bakersfield.