Samford 3, Lipscomb 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ---- Samford Volleyball opened action at the Lipscomb Invitational Friday morning against South Alabama, as the Bulldogs swept their in-state foe in a tightly contested match at Allen Arena.
The Samford (4-2) offense was balanced and efficient, hitting .284 as a team with Michaela Reesor (15), Erin Bognar (12) and Katie Murphy (10) all in double-figures in kills. Samford limited South Alabama (2-2) to a .167 hitting percentage while the Bulldogs held the slight edge in digs, 45-39, led by Chelsi Carter with a season-high 18.
Neither team could maintain momentum early in the opening frame, as neither could build more than a two-point lead. Tied at 9-9, a 5-1 run by the Bulldogs capped with a block by Reesor and Murphy would give Samford a four-point lead, up 14-10, as South Alabama took a timeout. The Jaguars bounced back with three unanswered points to cut the lead to one point but Samford fired right back with three of its own to make it 17-13. Later, leading 22-18, kills by Bognar and Murphy gave Samford set point, 24-18. The Jaguars got one point but an attack error sealed it as the Bulldogs won, 25-19.
Samford took its first lead in set two, up 4-3, but the Jaguars rallied with five in a row to build an 8-4 lead as the Bulldogs looked to regroup with an early timeout. Samford chipped away at the South Alabama lead and eventually tied it, 12-12, as the Jaguars took a timeout. Samford kept rolling out of the break, scoring five unanswered as a kill by Reesor made it 17-12, forcing the Jaguars to take another timeout. Samford kept rolling to build a nine-point lead, up 23-14, but South Alabama began to fight back with a 5-0 run to cut it to 23-19 as Samford took a timeout. South Alabama scored another out of the break to make it 23-20 but back-to-back kills by Murphy gave the Bulldogs the 25-20 win and a 2-0 match lead.
Set three was tightly contested, with the Bulldogs battling to hold a slim lead in the early goings. Just past the halfway point, a hard kill on the right side by Taylor Palmer tied it up at 14-14 and a slam up the middle by Murphy gave Samford the 15-14 lead. The teams remained neck-and-neck in the closing stages of the set, with a kill by Bognar giving the Bulldogs match point up 24-20 and a bad set by South Alabama ended it as Samford won 25-20, to seal the sweep.
Samford will play another match tonight as they take on the host Lipscomb Lady Bisons (1-2) at 7:30 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN3, so fans can watch it online at WatchESPN.com, through their mobile devices with the WatchESPN app or through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members and on Apple TV.
Georgia Southern 3, Arkansas State 1
OXFORD, Miss. –Senior outside hitter Nicole Jeschelnik (Ladera Ranch, Calif./JSerra Catholic) tallied a career-high 20 kills and hit .457 for the match to lead Georgia Southern to a 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 24-26, 25-15) volleyball victory over Arkansas State in the Ole Miss Magnolia Invitational Friday afternoon.
Georgia Southern will take on host Ole Miss tonight with first serve set for 8:30 p.m. (Eastern).
Jeschelnik’s 20 kills came on 35 swings with just four errors. Jamie DeRatt posted 11 kills and nine digs for the Eagles (4-1), while Katie Bange finished with nine kills and seven blocks.
Kym Coley posted nine kills and four blocks, and Crysten Curry registered seven blocks. Katalin Minnerly finished with 42 assists and 12 digs, and Alexandra Beecher posted 16 digs.
Sadie Clark led Arkansas State (0-5) with 15 kills, while Kelsey Sullivan posted 11.
Winthrop 3, Furman 2
Clemson, S.C. – The Furman volleyball team dropped a hard-fought match to Winthrop, 3-2 (25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 17-25, 9-15) in Clemson, S.C. on Friday afternoon in the first game of Clemson’s Big Orange Bash.
Senior Christina Dorismond paced the Paladin offense with 11 kills, while Andrea Fisher recorded 10 kills and 11 digs for Furman’s first double-double of the season. Ashton Gregory added to her team-leading block total with four in the match against the Eagles. Taina Joseph saw her first action as a Paladin, recording her first career kill, block and dig. Jo Wilks recorded 38 assists, her first 30+ assist game of the season.
Furman opened up an early lead at 5-2, before Winthrop used three straight points to tie the game at 5. Furman then used a 6-2 run to open up an 11-7 lead. The teams traded points before the Paladins took a five-point lead after an ace by Fisher, forcing an Eagle timeout with the score at 16-11 Paladins. Later in the match, a solo block by Gregory forced Winthrop to call their second timeout of the set, with the score at 23-17 Furman. Three-straight points by Winthrop cut Furman’s lead to 23-20 and forced the Paladins to use their first timeout of the set. The Paladins then used a Winthrop service error and a block by Gregory and Bohlander to close out set one, 25-21.
Furman used consecutive kills by Wells and Dorismond to take an early 5-3 lead in set two, forcing a quick Winthrop timeout. After the teams traded rallies, the Paladins took an 11-8 lead on a solo block by Gregory. The Paladins then went on a 6-3 run, when a miscommunication by Winthrop forced the Eagles to call a timeout, trailing Furman 17-11. Winthrop then used an 9-4 run to cut the Furman lead to one at 21-20. The Paladins closed out set three on a 4-1 run, highlighted by three kills by Dorismond, to take set two, 25-21.
Winthrop jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in set three, but the Paladins used a 6-0 run of their own to take a 6-3 lead, capped off by a solo block by Joseph, her first of the season. After sloppy play by both teams, Winthrop jumped out to a 14-11 lead, forcing Furman to call a timeout. The Paladins never came any closer than three points the rest of the way, as Winthrop took the set, 25-20.
The teams traded points in set four, with Winthrop opening up their biggest lead of the set at 14-11, forcing a Furman timeout. The teams traded points until Winthrop closed out the set on a 7-0 run, to win 25-17 and force a fifth set.
The teams again traded points in set five, until Winthrop opened up a 7-3 lead over the Paladins. After cutting the lead to four at 8-4, an Eagle kill forced a Furman timeout, with the Paladins trailing 9-4. Furman fought back to cut the Winthrop lead to four, but the Eagles pulled out to a 12-6 lead, forcing another Furman timeout. The Paladins again pulled to within four at 13-9, but the Eagles took the set, 15-9, and the match, 3-2.
Furman returns to action tomorrow in their second and third games of the Big Orange Bash. The Paladins will face South Carolina on Saturday at noon, and tournament-host Clemson on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Elon University volleyball team (2-4) dropped two hard fought matches today, Sept. 6, in the first day of the Holiday Inn Select/UCF Classic. The Phoenix fell to Central Florida (4-1), 3-0 (11-25, 13-25, 20-25), before losing a tough five-set match against Stephen F. Austin (5-1), 3-2 (25-20, 24-26, 24-26, 25-18, 10-15).
“We had moments of really great play today,” said Elon head coach Mary Tendler. “We are getting better and learning from every match. We are definitely not happy with the result of the two matches today but extremely excited with the progress we are making as a team.”
Central Florida 3, Elon 0
The Knights jumped out to a 5-1 lead before back-to-back kills by Kris Harris closed the gap to two, 5-3, in the first set. With UCF leading 11-6, Elon was forced to call an early timeout. After the short break, forced Knight errors and a kill by Ally Karle helped the Phoenix pull within three, 12-9. Off the serve of Roxy Mendez, UCF managed a long run to take a strong edge by 10 points. The maroon and gold were not able to overcome the disadvantage and fell 25-11.
Forced errors and a kill by Megan Gravley kept the second set close early on with the score knotted at three-all. A kill by Chanelle Smith kept the lead to five for the Knights, 9-4, but UCF was able to build and take a 2-0 match lead after a 25-13 win.
With UCF leading, 8-5, in the third set, Elon used a kill and ace by Harris and a kill by Kayla Agae to score three straight and pull even to make it eight-all. The Knights extended its lead to four, 12-8, but the maroon and gold put together a 4-1 run with the help of two kills by Karle and one by each Gravley and Agae to close the gap to one, 13-12. Kills by Agae and Harris and an ace by Morgan Maner kept the Phoenix within one of the home team, 16-15, but the Knights were able to hold on and close out the match with a 25-20 victory.
Despite the loss, Karle looked strong for the Phoenix, hitting .875 after recording seven kills off eight attempts and no errors. Harris also played well with a team-high eight kills off 18 attempts and no errors to hit .444.
Elon 2, Stephen F. Austin 3
ORLANDO, Fla.-- Elon found itself in a 9-5 hole early in the first set, but three kills by C. Smith and a block and a kill by Harris helped the Phoenix to a 8-3 run and the lead, 13-12. With the score tied at 15-all, an ace by Maner and a kill by Danielle Smith gave Elon a three-point advantage, 18-15, and forced a Ladyjack timeout. The maroon and gold extended its lead and claimed a 25-20 win.
n the second set, SFA jumped out to a 6-1 lead before a kill by Harris sparked a 7-2 run for the Phoenix to pull even with the Ladyjacks, eight-all. Off the serve of C. Smith, Elon was able to score five straight with the help of kills by Cali Estes, Gravley and Harris to claim a 15-14 edge. The remainder of the set was a back-and-forth with the Ladyjacks claiming set point first and holding on for a 26-24 victory.
Down by four, 14-10, three kills by C. Smith, one by Harris and a block by Gravley and Harris helped Elon to a 6-2 run to tie the third set at 16-all. The Phoenix fell behind, 21-17, but kills by Agae and Harris forced an SFA timeout and pulled Elon even at 22-all. Once again, the Ladyjacks were able to claim set point and take another 26-24 win.
In the fourth set, kills by D. Smith, C. Smith, Harris and an ace by D. Smith gave Elon an 8-4 early lead, forcing an SFA timeout. Out of the break, the maroon and gold went on a 6-2 run with the help of two kills each by C. Smith and Karle and an ace by Ana Nicksic to go up by seven, 14-7. The Phoenix held on to its strong advantage to win by eight, 25-18, and force a fifth and final set.
SFA took a 9-5 advantage in the fifth set before a kill by D. Smith cut the deficit to one, 11-10. However the Ladyjacks were able to prevail and win the set, 15-10, and the match, 3-2
C. Smith finished with a match-high 17 kills and recorded her second double-double of the season with 15 digs. Harris also finished with double-digit kills, tallying 11 to go along with her match-high seven blocks. Estes, D. Smith and Karle all finished the night with three blocks.
Elon will return to action tomorrow Saturday, Sept. 7, to face George Washington in its final match of the tournament at 3:30 p.m.
East Carolina 3, The Citadel 0
Greenville, N.C. – Behind Nicole Willis' 21 kills and seven digs East Carolina earned a tightly contested victory over The Citadel by scores of 25-21, 25-21 and 25-22 in the opening day of action at the East Carolina Invitational.
The offensive display of Willis was companied with the sound defensive efforts by Zarah Cecich (14 digs), Whitney Campbell (13) and Shelby Beasley (13). Cecich also made her presence felt on offense with a match-high 37 assists, guiding the Pirates (1-3) to 44 kills and a .130 hitting percentage. ECU also made its presence felt on the front row with 11 assisted blocks, led by Virginia Fitch who finished with three.
Five Citadel players tallied at least three kills in the match, including Katie Briggs who posted a team-high six strikes. Senior Erin Bucherl anchored the back row with 22 digs and teamed with Briggs, who finished with five assisted blocks, to provide the Bulldogs with 52 digs and 15 assisted blocks. The Citadel slipped to 0-4 follow the loss and heads into a series of matches against Morgan State and Loyola (Ill.) on Saturday.
After reaching a three all tie early in the opening set, d'Angelo helped The Citadel reel off five straight points with three consecutive services that resulted in an 8-3 advantage. East Carolina applied pressure, pulling the deficit to within two, over the next 11 points, but a series of points by Katie Briggs and a service ace by Amanda Rudnick provided the Dogs with their largest lead of the set, 15-9. After the two teams split the next four points, ECU used a 9-1 run that included two points each by Fitch and Willis to assume a 20-18 lead. The Pirates allowed just three Bulldog points down the stretch to secure the 25-21 win.
Two early kills by Lauren Hurt to open up the second set were instrumental in providing the Cadets with an early 5-1 lead. That lead grew to five on two occasions over the next 10 points of the match behind a series of timely kills by the front row tandem of d'Angelo and Briggs. However, East Carolina again retaliated behind the play of Willis, whose two kills were instrumental in bringing the game to an eventual 13-13 deadlock. The Pirates used the momentum from that rally to run off six of the next seven points and establish a 19-14 cushion. An unforced ECU error and service ace by Samantha Espy helped trimmed the deficit to 20-18, before a Willis kill and three Citadel errors in the final seven points that provided the Pirates with a 25-21 victory.
The Citadel again established itself early in the third set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead behind four service points by Bucherl and a kill by Mallory Moore. Three kills by Willis helped that lead evaporate before Bailey Kernodle drove home two kills and forced two ECU errors, while in serve, to give the Dogs a 1-8 cushion. Two kills by Fitch, Willis and Torre Blake assisted East Carolina's rally that eventually brought the set to a 20-20 tie. From there the Pirates capitalized on three unforced errors and two kills by Willis and Blake to win 25-22.
The Bulldogs remain at the East Carolina Invitational through Saturday afternoon where they will take on Morgan State at 10 a.m. and Loyola (Ill.) at 4:30 p.m.
NC State 3, Appalachian State 1
RALEIGH, N.C. — Appalachian State University volleyball was unable to match tournament host NC State, as the Wolfpack defeated the Mountaineers in three sets on Friday evening at Reynolds Coliseum.
The Mountaineers recorded their first loss of the season, falling to 4-1 overall after State won 25-19, 25-21, and 25-10 and improves to 4-0 on the season.
Sophomore Emily Corrigan continued to lead Appalachian’s offense, as the outside hitter paced the squad with 12 kills and 13 of the team’s 32 points.
What began as a point rally in the first set led to the ‘Pack taking a 22-16 lead en route to a six point win (25-19).
The Mountaineers fought through the second set as NC State held a 10-4 early advantage. Appalachian appeared poised for a comeback win as Corrigan, Paige Brown, and Lauren Gray combined to pull the Apps within two (22-20), but a pair of kills and a service error would provide NCST with its final points and halt the Appalachian win.
Following the second set, NC State’s 2-0 advantage would provide enough momentum to shut down the Mountaineers in the third and final game.
The Black and Gold could not keep pace with the Wolfpack, who unleashed on a six point run, earning a 20-5 lead off a combined effort from Rachel Buckley, Alesha Wilson, and Nikki Glass.
A series of errors would lend a hand in Appalachian’s final five points, but it would not be enough as the Mountaineers’ effort would fall short, 25-10, in the third set.
Uncharacteristically low hitting percentages challenged the Mountaineers, who posted a .122, .235, and .043 percentage (five or more kills) compared to NC State’s .286, .412, .261, and .350 percentages.
Sophomore libero Meghan Mahoney offered up 19 digs for Appalachian, while middle blocker Lauren Gray put up six kills and eight points for the night. Junior Lindsey Sauls chipped in five kills and 5.5 of the Mountaineers’ total points.
The Apps will return to the court tomorrow to wrap up the NC State Tournament as they face Towson at 10:30 a.m., followed by Binghamton later that same evening at 5 p.m.
Lipscomb 3, Samford 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ---- Samford Volleyball looked to pull an upset over the home Lipscomb Lady Bisons in Friday night’s marquee match at the Lipscomb Invitational on ESPN3, but the home team came out strongly and swept the Bulldogs, 3-0.
Samford (4-3) struggled against a potent Lipscomb (3-2) offense, as the Lady Bisons hit a staggering .475 as a team, the second-highest attack percentage allowed by the Bulldogs so far this season. Samford struggled at the service line, giving away scoring chances with 10 service errors. Offensively, Samford was led by Michaela Reesor with 10 kills and a .350 attack percentage while Stephanie Palmer paced the offense with 26 assists and Chelsi Carter led the defense with seven digs.
“We didn’t dig the ball well on defense either,” said Schroeder. “There aren’t many opponents you can get 18 digs and 10 service errors against and still win.”
Samford scored the first point of the opening set but the Lady Bisons would be the leader in the early goings. After Lipscomb took advantage of an overpass off a serve with a kill to make it a 14-10 game, the Bulldogs looked to regroup with a timeout. The Bulldogs kept it close, drawing within two down 23-21 off a Lipscomb attack error as the Lady Bisons took a timeout. Lipscomb scored a kill out of the break to reach set point and an ace sealed it for the home team as they won, 25-21, to take a 1-0 match lead.
Samford tied the match six times in the early portions of set two but could not take the lead over the Lady Bisons. Tied at 9-9, Lipscomb scored four unanswered points, capped by a service ace, to move up 13-9 and force a Bulldog timeout. Lipscomb started to pull away, building a 16-10 lead before Samford had to take another frustrated timeout. The home team continued to roll, winning set two 25-13with a service ace to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Bulldogs scored the first point of set three but Lipscomb managed to fight back and hold the lead early, moving up 10-5 before Samford was forced to take a timeout. Up by the same margin later, 15-9, the Lady Bisons would pull away as an 8-4 gave them a double-digit lead, up 23-13. Lipscomb reached match point, 24-13, and Samford staved off the loss with a kill by Emily Meitz, but a service error ended it as the Bulldogs fell, 25-14, in three sets.
Samford finishes its weekend tomorrow afternoon, facing Jacksonville State (2-4) at Noon CT.
Wofford 3, USC Upstate 1
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Senior Wendy Burnett hit .625 with 11 kills and four blocks and the Wofford volleyball team handled USC Upstate for its first win of the season, 3-1 (25-12, 20-25, 25-17, 25-18), Friday night at the Hampton Inn & Suites Spartan Classic from the G.B. Hodge Center.
Burnett was unstoppable on the attack, committing just one error the entire match with 11 kills on 16 total attempts. The senior middle blocker also rejected four Spartan attacks and had four aces to post 17.5 points on the night.
Wofford (1-3) also had great performances from senior Amanda Liguori and junior Taylor Baird. Liguori registered her 25th career double-double by notching a match-high 16 kills and hitting .314 (16-5-35) to go along with 14 digs. Baird continued to impress with her third double-double of the season, going for 12 kills and 11 digs. Senior setter Bekah Dorsey dished out 36 assists and had 14 digs, putting together her 33rd career double-double to lead all active players.
The win makes the Terriers 6-1 against USC Upstate since the two teams joined NCAA Division I. Wofford hit .248 for the match, dominating USC Upstate (0-4) which hit just .064.
The Terriers and Spartans dueled through a close first set before five straight points gave Wofford a clear 20-11 advantage. Upstate had no response and Baird’s seven opening-set kills helped the Terriers cruise to a 13-point victory.
The second set was locked at 13-all midway through until Wofford took five of the next seven points for an 18-15 lead. Then, Upstate’s Kelsey Bagwell went on a run, which included two aces, to help the Spartans score five straight points and take a late 23-20 lead. Two errors by the Terriers ended the set in favor of Upstate.
It was the only set Wofford surrendered on the night. Great defense and passing led by six of Jessica Graham’s match-high 20 digs held Upstate at bay in the third. With the score 13-10, Graham served and helped Wofford go on a 6-0 run for a commanding 19-10 lead. Upstate only got as close as seven the rest of the set and sophomore Liz Buterbaugh put down the set winner as the Terriers took the third by eight.
Wofford used another huge run in the fourth to seal the victory. Tied at 14, Wofford took eight consecutive points on Liguori’s serve and forced Upstate to use all of its timeouts. When the run was over, Wofford led 22-14 and freshman Ellie Tallman put the match away with the last of her seven kills.
The Wofford volleyball team continues the Hampton Inn & Suites Invitational Saturday, facing Georgia State at 2 p.m.
Charlotte 3, Chattanooga 2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Mocs (0-5) volleyball team dropped its fifth match of the season Friday night with a 3-2 loss to Charlotte (2-3) on the second night of the Country Inns & Suites Invitational at Maclellan Gym.
Chattanooga took command of the match early with a 27-25 win in the first set. Forcing the frame to extra points after trailing by as many as six points for most of the match, the Mocs strung together back-to-back four-point rallies to take a 25-24 while they were on the ropes. Charlotte tied the set at 25 but a kill from freshman Allie Davenport gave UTC the lead and an attacking error handed them the win.
Davenport took 65 swings Friday night, nearly double the amount of her-closest teammate Julimar Alvarado with 38, and led the team with 21 kills. The freshman was also responsible for 12 digs and three blocks, en route to her second double-double of the season.
The Mocs handled the 49ers with a little more ease in the second frame, winning 25-21 to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Battling from behind yet again, three rallies worth four points each boosted the Mocs into the lead midway through the set, giving UTC a 15-12 lead. Charlotte challenged late, but spikes downed by freshman Kendall Sexton landed in 49ers’ territory with aggression to swart any chances of a comeback.
Chattanooga’s luck ran out in the third, however, falling 25-19 in another closely played set. The Mocs would only tack on one more point to their total in the fourth with a 25-20 loss before a 15-8 final in the deciding set handed UTC its fifth loss, dropping Filar’s squad to 0-5 on the season.
The Country Inns & Suites Invitation continues tomorrow at 10 a.m. with UT Martin taking on Tennessee. Chattanooga’s next match is set for 2 p.m. as the Mocs take on UT Martin’s Skyhawks before wrapping up the five-match weekend at 8 p.m. against UNC Asheville.
Murray State 3, UNCG 2
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The opening of the 2013 Spartan-Aggie Invitational proved frustrating for the UNCG volleyball team Friday night as Murray State came away with a 3-2 (25-15, 11-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-13) victory inside Fleming Gymnasium. The match served as the first home contest of the year for the Spartans.
UNCG actually dominated the stat sheet in the match, but hit just .000 in the fifth set with seven kills and seven errors on 31 attempts. The Blue and Gold out-hit the Racers .228-.176 and tallied more kills (71-54), assists (68-51), aces (8-4), digs (103-96) and blocks (7.0-6.0).
Individually, senior outside hitter Karrian Chambers (College Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated) put forth an electrifying performance – racking up 21 kills on 43 attempts with just four errors to finish with a .395 hitting mark. Senior middle hitter Olivia Humphries (Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park) and freshman outside hitter Sydney Darden (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam) also reached double figures in kills with 14 and 13 respectively. Darden hit for percentage, recording just two errors on 36 swings to end up at .306.
On the defensive side, sophomore libero Katherine Santiago tallied a career-high 33 digs to lead five players in double figures. Senior libero Kellie Orewiler (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison Comprehensive) was next with 16 while freshman outside hitter Jessica Brezwyn (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South), freshman setter Sara Hohman (Zionsville, Ind./Cathedral) and Humphries chipped in with 15, 10 and 10 respectively.
Hohman qualified for her first career double-double as she also dished out 53 assists and Humphries earned her second double-double of the season with her 14 kills and 10 digs. Humphries also contributed three aces and four blocks.
The Spartans struggled mightily in the first set, allowing Murray State to jump out to an 8-1 lead. The frame was never really in doubt as the Racers put away UNCG by a 25-15 score.
The second stanza proved to be a mirror image of the first. The visitors did score the first three points of the set, but the Blue and Gold recovered to go on a huge 17-4 run which found UNCG leading by ten points. The Spartans did not let up the rest of the way as a block sealed a 25-11 win for the home team and evened the match.
The teams ended up tied at four apiece early in the third set, but an attacking error by the Racers capped an 8-4 run for UNCG and Murray State called timeout trailing 12-8. The Racers stayed within shouting distance as a kill by Taylor Olden made the score 21-17 in favor of the Spartans. However, UNCG allowed Murray State just two more points in the set and another Spartan block ended it 25-19.
In the fourth set, the Racers went on top 9-6 on a kill by Alyssa Lelm before a kill by Humphries capped a 6-3 run which tied the set. Murray State would be the aggressor over the next few points, building a 17-14 lead before UNCG made a push to pull within 20-19. A service error by Hohman on the next play took all the momentum away from the Spartans however, and the Racers closed it out 25-22.
Murray State looked like it was going to run away with the deciding frame, establishing an 8-3 lead. However, UNCG began to chip away. Trailing 11-5, the Spartans forced three attacking errors and put down an ace to draw within 11-9. A kill by Scottie Ingram made it 12-9 before Chambers tallied consecutive kills. A kill by Lelm pushed the score to 13-11, but the Blue and Gold rallied again, using a kill by Chambers and a block to tie the score at 13. Chambers nearly gave UNCG match point, but her attack landed just millimeters out of bounds on the next play and Humphries followed with an error of her own to allow Murray State to escape with the win.
The Blue and Gold will play two matches Saturday, traveling to North Carolina A&T for an 11 a.m. contest before returning to Fleming Gymnasium at 7 p.m. to take on Alabama State.
Georgia Southern 3, Ole Miss 1
OXFORD, Miss. – Senior outside hitter Nicole Jeschelnik (Ladera Ranch, Calif./JSerra Catholic) posted 32 kills on the day to lead the Georgia Southern volleyball team to two victories at the Magnolia Invitational Friday.
The Eagles (5-1) topped tournament host Ole Miss 3-1 (25-22, 18-25, 25-13, 25-18) tonight and downed Arkansas State 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 24-26, 25-15) this afternoon. Georgia Southern has now won 18 of its last 20 matches, dating back to last season.
Jeschelnik collected 12 kills and 11 digs against the Rebels and notched a career-high 20 kills and hit .457 for the match against Arkansas State.
Katie Bange (Marietta, Ga./Pope) added 11 kills and three blocks in the victory over Ole Miss (3-2), and Jamie DeRatt (Wilson, N.C./J.H. Rose) recorded nine kills and 16 digs. Kym Coley posted nine kills and three blocks, and Crysten Curry had eight kills and a block. Katalin Minnerly registered 44 assists and 13 digs, while Alexandra Beecher finished with 14 digs.
Marie-Pierre Bakima finished with 13 kills and nine digs to lead Ole Miss, and Ty Laporte finished with 11 kills.
Georgia Southern combined for just five hitting errors in the first two sets they won and held the Rebels to an .025 hitting percentage in the fourth frame.
The Eagles trailed 5-4 in the third set but scored six in a row, capped by a combined block by Minnerly and Coley, to open a 10-5 cushion. The margin grew to as many as 22-11 following a solo block by Coley, and the Eagles took the set 25-13 to open a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Eagles led 17-15 in the fourth set and used a 5-1 run, with kills by Curry and Bange to open a 22-16 lead. The Rebels trimmed the margin to 22-18 but made three consecutive hitting errors to end the match.
The Eagles pushed a one-point lead to 20-16 with a 4-1 run in the first set. DeRatt had two kills, and Beecher added an ace during the spurt. The Rebels got to within three points twice, but a Jeschelnik kill and an ace by Meghan Morillo extended the margin to 23-18. Ole Miss trimmed the lead to 24-22 before Coley put the set away with a kill.
Ole Miss jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the second set and never looked back as the Rebels never trailed in the frame. The margin grew to as many as 16-9 before the Eagles ran off five straight points with the help of two Jeschelnik kills. Ole Miss pushed ahead to 20-16, and the Eagles could not get within four points the rest of the way.
Jeschelnik’s 20 kills against Arkansas State came on 35 swings with just four errors. DeRatt posted 11 kills and nine digs, while Bange finished with nine kills and seven blocks.
Coley posted nine kills and four blocks, and Curry registered seven blocks. Minnerly finished with 42 assists and 12 digs, and Beecher posted 16 digs.
Sadie Clark led Arkansas State (0-5) with 15 kills, while Kelsey Sullivan posted 11.
The Eagles finish their stay at the Magnolia Invitational tomorrow morning when they meet Kennesaw State at 11:30 a.m. (Eastern).
Western Carolina 3, Southeastern Louisiana 2Western Carolina 3, Memphis2
Cullowhee, N.C. – The Western Carolina volleyball team picked up two wins with a 3-0 sweep of Southeastern Louisiana and a 3-2 upset win over tournament host on day one of the Memphis Invitational to earn the programs second win over a team from the a BCS conference this season, a feat that has not been accomplished in 26 years.
With the WCU (5-1) win over Memphis out of the American Athletic Conference, the Catamounts picked up their second win over a team from a BCS after defeating Boston College on August 30. It is the first time since Western Carolina defeated Georgia Tech twice in 1987 that the Catamounts earned two wins in the same season over teams from a BCS conference. In 1986, Western Carolina beat two teams from the ACC, Georgia Tech and Clemson, earning two wins over two different teams in the same sesason.
In match two against Memphis, WCU took an early 8-4 lead, but Memphis came back to take a 14-12 lead. The Catamounts pulled even at 16 on a Ford block, but the Tigers went on a 6-1 run to take control of the set en route to a 25-18 opening set win.
The Catamounts again took an early lead in the second set, 7-5, only to see the Tigers tie the set at eight. Neither team could break way until Memphis extended a 14-13 lead into an 18-14 lead on three kills, a service ace and a Western Carolina attack error. WCU stayed within striking distance and tied the set at 20 after overcoming a 20-17 deficit. Kills by Caitlin Piechota and Addy George and a solo block by George sparked the comeback. Memphis took a two-point lead only to see WCU retie the set at 23 following kills by Nicole Ford and Jordan Timmermann. However, the Tigers earned the final two points on kills to take a 2-0 lead with the 25-23 set win.
For the third time, WCU held an early lead, 8-3, and opened the margin up to seven points, 11-4. The Catamounts pushed the gap to as far as eight points, 16-8, only to have the Tigers claw back into the set with an 8-2 run to pull within two points, 18-16. But, WCU answered and extended the lead out to four points, 20-16, on a kill by Piechota and a Memphis attack error. Western Carolina kept the match alive with 25-22 set win.
Continuing the trend, the Catamounts held the lead early, 10-6, and keeping with the same trend, the Tigers crawled back with a 7-1 run to take a 13-11 lead. WCU responded with a run of their own, 5-1, to take a 16-14 lead sparked by kills from Cristina Nazario, Ford and Timmermann. Western Carolina maintained the lead as the Cats took the fourth set 25-21 to force a fifth and decisive set. Timely kills from Piechota down the stretch of the fourth set helped secure win.
In the final set, WCU turned a 3-1 deficit into an 8-4 lead. After changing sides, Memphis took advantage of two errors by Western Carolina and a Tiger kill to trim the Catamount lead down to one point, 8-7, and force a WCU timeout. Coming out of the timeout, a Timmermann kill gave the Catamounts a 9-7 lead, but the Tigers pulled even at nine after a kill and a WCU hitting error. The teams traded the next six points, until the WCU used two Memphis attack errors to take a 14-12 lead. Memphis fought off two match points to tie the score at 14. WCU earned another match point on a kill by George and secured the set and the match with on an attack error for the 16-14 set win.
Western Carolina had 70 team kills compared to 55 for Memphis, and the Catamounts held the advantage at the net with 11 total team blocks compared to seven for the Tigers.
Morgan Cochran collected 30 digs, the first time this season she eclipsed the 30-dig mark and fifth time in her Catamount career. Timmermann had 15 kills to lead WCU offensively; she also added 14 digs for a double-double. George followed with 13 kills, a .333 hitting percentage and seven total blocks, two solo and five block assists. Piechota picked up her second double-double of the day with 12 kills and 14 digs. Nazario passed out 46 assists, while Paige McConlogue earned her eighth 20-plus dig match with 22 digs.
In the opening match against Southeastern Louisiana, Western Carolina was led by Brandi Anderson’s career day. She turned in career-highs in kills (10), attacks (23), hitting percentage (.304), block assists (five) and total blocks (five). Piechota and Nazario each had double-doubles in the win. Piechota had 10 kills and 10 digs tying Anderson for the team lead, while Nazario handed out 35 assists and picked up 10 digs. Ford also recorded five total blocks on five block assists tying Anderson for the team lead, while Cochran picked up 20 digs. George had six kills on 14 swings with no errors for a .429 hitting percentage.
WCU flipped an 11-8 deficit into a 14-11 on four attack errors and a service error by Southeastern. The Lions pulled within one point, 16-15, but Western Carolina used a 9-2 run to earn the set one win, 25-17. The Cats hit .359 compared to .064 for the Lions.
In set two, the two teams went back and forth until Western Carolina pulled ahead with a 14-10 lead following kill by Anderson. WCU held the four-point lead, until Southeastern trimmed the lead to 20-19 and eventually tied the set 21. After trading points, the Catamounts broke a tie at 23 with block by Piechota and Ford, before claiming the 25-23 set two win on a Lion setting error.
Set three followed a similar pattern as the Catamounts again took a 14-10 lead only to see it disappear when the Lions pulled even at 19. After trading the next four points, Southeastern broke at tie at 21 with a kill and an attack error to take a 23-21 lead. WCU sparked the comeback, a 4-0 run, with a block by Ford and Anderson en route to a 25-23 set three win.