UNCG 3, Western Carolina 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Led by a career-high 13 kills from freshman outside hitter Ashley Muench, the UNCG volleyball team picked up a 3-0 victory (25-20, 25-22, 25-22) over Western Carolina Friday evening inside the Ramsey Center in the Southern Conference opener for both squads. With the sweep, the Spartans recorded their fifth-straight victory in a SoCon lid lifter.
Muench came up big for the Blue and Gold as she not only registered 13 kills but also hit a sparkling .706 – making just one error in 17 attempts. Sophomore outside Jessica Brezwyn and senior middle Kelsey Sidney also chipped in with double-digit kills to the tune of 11 and 10 respectively. UNCG was buoyed additionally by the play of senior middle Vicky Harley who hit .467 with nine kills on 15 swings.
Sophomore setter Sara Hohman turned in a solid all-around performance, notching her seventh double-double of the season via 43 assists and 15 digs. She also added four kills on six attempts. Defensively, junior libero Katherine Santiago led the way with 17 digs to go along with five assists.
As a team, the Spartan offense finished with a .333 hitting mark thanks to 55 kills on 123 attempts with only 14 errors. Conversely, the Catamounts tallied 43 kills and hit a respectable .254. UNCG also won the defensive battle with 66 kills to Western’s 50 and a 5.0-3.0 advantage in the blocking column.
The Spartans took control of the first set right from the get go, racking up a 7-3 lead when Muench put down a kill. UNCG kept the pressure on, scoring six of the next points to extend its advantage to 13-6. The Catamounts called for timeout at that point, but a kill by Sidney made the score 18-10.
Western Carolina was forced into another timeout with the score at 22-14 after a kill by redshirt junior middle Julia Westerbur and UNCG reached set point at 24-16 thanks to a kill by Sidney. WCU attempted to rally, pulling within 24-20, but a kill by Muench closed the door and gave the Spartans the set by a 25-20 margin.
The Catamounts took the upper hand at the start of the second stanza, leading 7-4 when Caitlin Piechota notched a kill. However, UNCG answered with an 8-5 run capped off by a Western Carolina attacking error to knot the score at 12. The teams traded off the lead over the next several points before a kill by Brandi Anderson put WCU on top 21-19. A pair of Catamount attacking errors allowed the Spartans to tie the score at 21 but a kill by Addy George gave Western a 22-21 edge. Brezwyn responded with two kills of her own, affording UNCG a 23-22 lead and forcing a Catamount timeout. A big attacking error by George put the Blue and Gold at set point before a clutch block by Westerbur and Sidney sealed the second set for the visitors 25-22.
The third frame was a battle for much of the start with the sides battling to a 10-10 deadlock. A kill by Sidney gave UNCG a slight 12-10 lead and the Catamounts would call timeout with the Spartans in front 14-12 following a Harley kill. The Blue and Gold seized control of the set from there, scoring eight of the next 12 points to move in front 22-16. Western had one last answer, rallying all the way within 23-22 on a service ace by Jo-Leigh Vervelde. UNCG called timeout to settle things down and Harley came through at the end with two powerful kills to the middle of the defense to give the Spartans a 25-22 third set victory and the sweep.
UNCG will travel south to Macon, Ga. Saturday for a Southern Conference matchup with Mercer. The Bears came away with a 3-0 victory (25-23, 25-22, 25-18) at The Citadel in Charleston Friday evening. First serve at the University Center is slated for 7 p.m.
Mercer 3, The Citadel 0
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Junior Molly Locke booked her team-leading ninth double-double of the season to lead the Mercer volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-18) sweep of the Citadel in Friday night’s Southern Conference opener at McAlister Fieldhouse.
Mercer’s win lifted the team to 4-9 (1-0 SoCon) on the season while the Citadel dropped to 5-10 (0-1 SoCon).
Locke paired a match-high 13 kills with 16 digs to highlight Mercer’s second conference opening win in three seasons under head coach Damian Elder. Eight Mercer players registered at least one kill on the evening, as the team compiled a cumulative .244 hitting percentage against the Bulldogs.
Junior Monica Johnson was nearly unstoppable at the net, hammering down nine kills with just a single error for a .444 hitting percentage. Senior Caroline Carlton and sophomore Ellie James added eight and seven kills, respectively.
Sophomore Tori Penrod was credited with 22 digs, six assists and a service ace in the winning effort. Sophomore Hannah Noon and freshman Claire Walizcek combined for 37 assists while splitting playing time at setter.
Despite having to travel outside of Macon for the 13th consecutive match, Mercer jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead in the first set on Friday night. The host Bulldogs battled back to tie matters at 23-23, but Mercer ultimately prevailed thanks to a Locke kill and an attacking error by the Citadel’s Ise d’Angelo.
In the second set, the teams battled to a 17-17 tie before a kill by Walizcek sparked a 7-3 Mercer run that put the Bears ahead by a commanding 24-20 edge. The third set was the most contested frame of the evening, featuring eight tie scores and five lead changes. Mercer eventually capitalized on a 4-0 surge late in the frame to put away the Bulldogs for good.
Samford 3, Chattanooga 1
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Samford University volleyball team captured a 3-1 victory over Chattanooga thanks to career performances and an overall total team effort on Friday, Sept. 26.
The Bulldogs dropped by two points early in the first set but found a groove to take a 6-3 lead over the Mocs. Junior Emily Meitz headed up the offensive effort and kept Samford out in front early.
Meitz tallied a career-high 14 kills and tied her career-high with six blocks in the match.
UTC rallied to tie the set 11-11 and eventually took a 12-11 lead but redshirt freshman T.J. Russell joined Meitz and put away the next ball to give SU back the momentum. The Bulldogs sprinted out to a 15-12 lead thanks to a pair of aces from senior Chelsi Carter.
Russell also cranked out a career-high 10 kills on 20 attempts (.400) on the night.
Chattanooga got as close as 20-19 but Samford responded with a 5-2 run to take the match lead 1-0.
The Mocs rebounded in the second set but the Bulldogs didn't just go quietly. There were 12 ties and four lead changes.
Samford pushed Chattanooga to a 20-20 tie in the second set before the Mocs put the set away with a 5-3 run to take it 25-23.
The Bulldogs and the Mocs went back-and-forth early in the third set but Samford rallied on a 9-1 run to take a 14-6 lead that it'd never relinquish.
Chattanooga however mounted an impressive comeback and closed down the Samford lead to 21-19 before they eventually dropped the set 25-22.
SU closed out the match in the fourth set from outstanding play by the entire squad. The Bulldogs hit an impressive .419 as a team in the set to claim the 25-23 win in the set.
Sophomore setter Erika Pifer also had a career-high six kills in the match. The team tallied 10 service aces and 8 total team blocks in the effort.
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Sept. 30, when the squad plays host to UAB inside the Pete Hanna Center at 6 p.m.