ETSU 3, UNCG 1
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – After taking the first two sets (25-20, 25-13), the ETSU volleyball team fought off a subsequent UNC Greensboro rally to win set four (29-27) to come away with a 3-1 match victory on Friday night inside Brooks Gym.
With the win, the Bucs improve to 7-11 on the season and 2-1 in Southern Conference play while UNCG drops to 9-6 on the year and 2-1 in league action.
Coming off of a tough, 3-2 home win over Radford on Tuesday night, the Blue & Gold looked to protect home court for the second time this week when it welcomed its conference partner from Greensboro, N.C.
ETSU started fast, accumulating a 9-5 lead off of a UNCG attack error before a Spartan timeout. The Bucs stayed in control thereafter before UNCG went on an 8-2 scoring run to take a 19-17 lead. The Blue & Gold then responded with a run of its own, an 8-1 burst to take set one, 25-20, off of a UNCG attack error.
The Bucs fell behind early in set two but quickly clawed back to take control. Following a 2-2 tie, ETSU used a 7-2 streak, capped by a Meredith Hardy kill to take command of the set. The Blue & Gold never looked back in the set and efficiently increased its advantage throughout. ETSU concluded the dominant set with an Ivey Rice kill to take set two, 25-13.
Facing a sizeable 2-0 match deficit, UNCG fired back in set number three. Starting hot out of the gate, the Spartans took an early 8-4 lead off of a kill by Sara Hohman. The Bucs then answered with a 6-2 burst to pull even at 10 apiece before UNCG bounced back with four-consecutive kills to pull ahead, 14-11. Back-and-forth action persisted for the remainder of the set with five additional ties, capped by the score being deadlocked at 22 as a result of a Spartans rotation violation. ETSU took advantage and captured the next point off of a Bethany Gesell kill, but UNCG charged back to take the set, 25-23, following two kills and an ETSU attack error.
Looking to take back the momentum, the Bucs got off to a quick start in set four. The Blue & Gold jumped out an 8-3 advantage off of a UNCG attack error which then led to a Spartans timeout. ETSU held a firm lead over the next several sequences, but the Spartans were not going to go away without a fight. UNCG took its first lead of the set, 21-20, off of a Kelsey Sidney kill and followed with another kill after an ETSU timeout to take a two-point advantage. The two teams then responded to the other’s advancements with a rally of its own to keep the score neck and neck. After repeated answers from UNCG on the Bucs’ match-point attempts, the Blue & Gold used the energy from the raucous crowd to win set four, 29-27, and capture match victory, 3-1.
ETSU was led by 18 kills apiece from Hardy and Khadijah Wiley as well as 27 digs from Katie Muey and 47 assists from Kristen Favre. As a squad, the Bucs held a 60% (52-86) team attack percentage and nine total team blocks.
The Spartans were paced by 12 kills from Ashley Muench, 17 digs from Katherine Santiago and 45 assists from Sarah Hohman. UNCG recorded a 51% team attack percentage and posted five team blocks.
The Blue & Gold will be back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 6 p.m. when it hosts Middle Tennessee State inside Brooks Gym.
Samford 3, Western Carolina 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University volleyball team stepped right back into Southern Conference play without missing a beat as they dispatched Western Carolina University 3-0 on Friday, Oct. 3, in its annual Dig Orange match inside the Pete Hanna Center.
Senior libero Chelsi Carter was all over the court in the victory as she tallied 18 digs, a service ace and a kill in the match.
The Bulldogs (8-7, 2-0 SoCon) opened up the first set of action with a 25-23 win over the Catamounts (7-10, 0-3 SoCon). Senior Michaela Reesor led the offensive charge with five kills and was followed but redshirt freshman T.J. Russell who tabbed four in the set.
SU handled the WCU offense attack better in the second set as the squad put away a 25-20 decision to go ahead 2-0 in the match. Reesor continued Samford's evenly paced offensive assault to bring her kill total to nine by the intermission.
Samford used an effective offensive attack in the third set to put away the match as the team record 18 kills on 36 attacks (.472) while only having committed one attack error.
Sophomores Gabbi Greenwald and Erin Bognar filled in nicely on the offensive side of the ball as each recorded nine and eight kills apiece.
The Bulldogs will return to action tomorrow on Oct. 4, to take on The Citadel inside the Pete Hanna Center. Match is slated to start at 7 p.m.
Chattanooga 3, The Citadel 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Mocs defeated The Citadel 3-0 Friday evening to pick up their first Southern Conference win of the season. Junior Lauren Gainer and sophomore Nicole Sumida led UTC to the win, picking up 13 and 11 kills, respectively.
Chattanooga claimed the first set 25-20, led by Gainer’s four kills. Sumida and sophomore Kristy Wieser each tallied three kills, along with seven digs compiled by sophomore Allie Davenport. Davenport and junior Sarah Batterton each contributed two assisted blocks.
The second set was taken 25-14 with the Mocs coming out on top. UTC hit an outstanding .516, while the defense held the Bulldogs to just a .125 hitting percentage. The Mocs totaled 17 kills in the frame on the back of Sumida. The sophomore downed six kills on seven attempts with committing an error. Davenport and Gainer each contributed four kills each, as well.
UTC took the final stanza 25-22, the closest margin in the match. Gainer’s five kills in the match was a set-high total for the Mocs. Despite hitting just .188 in the set, the score was tied just once before Chattanooga rallied to take the three-point victory.
The win over the Bulldogs bumped UTC’s all-time record against The Citadel to 22-0 since its first match in 1999. Chattanooga’s season record improves to 8-10 while the opponent falls to 5-12. The Mocs are now 1-2 in league action and The Citadel is 0-3.
Chattanooga continues SoCon action Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. as it takes on Western Carolina. The Mocs are 34-35 all-time against the Catamounts. Their last two meetings came just last season with WCU taking both matches 3-0, both at Maclellan Gym and in Cullowhee, N.C.