UNCG 3, Furman 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG volleyball team faced a tall task against a Furman squad that took the Southern Conference lead last night with a victory over Chattanooga, but the Spartans stunned the Paladins in three sets by scores of 25-16, 28-26 and 25-21 Saturday evening inside Fleming Gymnasium.
UNCG improved to 5-0 at home and have only dropped one set in the friendly confines all season. The Blue and Gold have also won two straight after a six-match losing skid.
The win was the first for the Spartans over Furman since 2013 and the first UNCG sweep in the series since the Spartans blanked the Paladins in the 2006 SoCon Tournament in Boone, N.C.
The Spartan outside hitters had a field day in the match as junior Jessica Brezwyn put down a match-high 18 kills on 34 attempts and made just two errors for a blistering .471 hitting percentage. Sophomore
Ashley Muench followed close behind with 17 kills and a .351 hitting mark. She also notched her third double-double adding 10 digs to her offensive output as well as four blocks (three solo). Senior defensive specialist Katherine Santiago paced the defense with 13 digs while freshman setter Allison Penner ran an efficient offense by registering 43 assists on her team’s 53 kills.
Annie Bierman, the league leader in kills per set, recorded 14 for the Paladins to complement a 17-dig performance by libero Meg DeMaar.
In the third set, the Spartans then began to pull away, scoring the three points in a row to force a Furman timeout. The run was finished off by a huge stuff block by Jones, and junior outside hitter Alexis Mourier that sent the Fleming Gymnasium crowd into a frenzy. That would serve as the knockout blow as UNCG finished the Paladins off for good a couple of rallies later.
The Blue and Gold returns to action Wednesday hosting The Citadel at 6 p.m.
Samford 3, Western Carolina 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University volleyball team bounced back in a big way on Saturday, as the team downed Western Carolina University 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-23) inside the Pete Hanna Center.
The Bulldogs (8-7, 3-2 SoCon) rallied behind redshirt sophomore T.J. Russell and freshman Krista Boesing to earn their third SoCon victory of the season. Russell and Boesing combined for 27 of the teams 43 kills in the three set affair and helped the team hit a whopping .351 for the match.
The Catamounts (7-15, 1-5 SoCon) forced the Bulldogs in a scrappy match in the initial set and forced 10 ties and four lead changes before Samford eventually pulled away with a 19-16 lead which the never relinquished. Samford ended the set on a 6-3 run which was spurred by Boesing.
After settling the nerves of the intense first set of action, Samford cruised its way to a 25-18 decision in the second set. Russell provided as a reliable option for freshman setter Taylor Anderton who connected with Russell for four kills on just five attempts with no errors. The set served as the Bulldogs most efficient of the afternoon as the team hit an incredible .550 compared to Western Carolina's .286 average.
Defensive play from the back row picked up in the third set to solidify the win for the Bulldogs. Junior libero Mattie Newson recorded 10 digs in the set alone while she finished with a total of 16 for the entire match.
However, the Bulldogs offensive machine didn't slow down either as senior middle blocker Emily Meitz hit her stride and connected for five kills on seven attempts; three of which came in the last four points of the match to secure the victory. Meitz finished with five kills all of which came in the third set.
The Bulldogs return to action next weekend as the team travels to Mercer University and Chattanooga on Oct. 17-18.
Mercer 3, Wofford 1
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University volleyball team won its second Southern Conference match in as many days on Saturday, defeating Wofford by a final of 3-1. With the victory the Bears remain perfect at home in 2015, improving to 6-0.
The matchup between the Bears and Terriers was highly competitive throughout the afternoon, as all four sets were decided in the final points. Mercer edged Wofford in the opener by a mark of 25-23 before the Terriers returned the favor with a 25-23 win in the second to even the match at 1-1.
Like Friday evening, the Orange and Black came out of the 10-minute intermission with a renewed focus and claimed the third set by a score of 25-21 to go up 2-1 in the match. Mercer finished the match in the fourth by narrowly edging Wofford 26-24 to win its third conference match of the season.
Sophomore Morgan MacGilvary recorded her fourth double-double performance of the season on Saturday afternoon. The Plano, Texas native posted a team-high 17 kills and added 13 digs to accomplish the feat. The 17 kills are tied for the second most of any Mercer player in a match this season. MacGilvary’s 13 digs are the second most she has recorded in 2015. The sophomore also added three blocks and two aces in the match.
Freshman Paige Alsten continues to be an absolute force at the net from a defensive perspective, as the middle blocker posted a season-high 11 blocks in the victory. That mark is not only the most by any Mercer player in a match this season but also highest figure recorded by any SoCon player in 2015. The previous best was nine, which was turned in by Alsten and three other players.
Mercer’s record rises to 7-11 on the season and 3-4 in SoCon action. The Terriers fall to 9-11 in 2015 and 2-3 in league play.
Mercer hits the road for its final non-conference match of the season on Wednesday, Oct. 14 in an intrastate showdown against Savannah State. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Chattanooga 3, The Citadel 0
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team clinched a 3-0 win over The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. UTC improves to 16-3 and 5-1 in Southern Conference play, marking its 10th sweep.
Chattanooga played different starters and substitutes in the matchup, including sophomore Eden Murray, who checked into her first set of the season. Freshman Emily Plumlee featured her best stats, with seven kills and a .417 attack percentage. She even hit the match-winning kill.
After winning the first two sets (25-19, 26-24), the Mocs came out firing to clinch the final frame 25-12.
Chattanooga outplayed the Bulldogs offensively. UTC racked up 50 kills paired with a strong .424 attack percentage, compared to the Citadel's 35 kills and .208 clip.
Junior Allie Davenport paced the squad with 14 kills and a .636 hitting percentage, while sophomore Lauren Greenspoon set the team for 42 assists.
Freshman Miranda Elpers has been strong from the service line, recording three aces for the second match in a row.
The Mocs host ETSU Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. and Samford Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. in Maclellan Gym.