Samford 3, Mercer 0

ATLANTA, Ga. ---- Samford got off to a 2-0 start over South Alabama before faltering in the third set, but the Bulldogs charged back late in the fourth set to seal the 3-1 victory over the Jaguars in Atlanta Saturday afternoon.

Samford (4-5) earned its third-consecutive victory, led by Michaela Reesor with a season-high 17 kills while Katie Murphy was also in double digits with 12.  Alexis Bauer and Chelsi Carter both had double-digit digs with 16 and 13, respectively, and combined for three of the team's seven service aces.

South Alabama (4-5) hit under .200 in three of the match's four sets with Savannah Stewart leading the team in kills (11) and digs (13), earning a double-double.

Samford took the lead early in the opening set and slowly began to widen the gap, pulling ahead to a 14-8 lead to force a South Alabama timeout.  The Bulldogs held the six-point margin, up 21-15, and then rattled off three in a row looking for set point, serving up 24-15.  South Alabama scored two in a row but Michaela Reesor ended any hope of a Jaguar comeback, giving the Bulldogs the 25-17 victory in set one and the early 1-0 match edge.

The Bulldogs took an early lead in set two as well, when a kill by Neisler and a Reesor service ace gave them a 10-5 lead.  Up five points later, 16-11, Samford scored four in a row to reach the 20-point mark first with a nine-point lead.  With the same margin later, up 23-14, a South Alabama service error gave Samford possession and a kill by Neisler sealed the frame, 25-14, and put Samford up 2-0.

It was South Alabama that took the early lead in the third frame, as three consecutive points put them up 9-4 to force a Samford timeout.  The Jaguars maintained the lead throughout the set, holding a 19-14 edge as the Bulldogs took another timeout.  South Alabama reached set point, up 24-17, and Samford scored a point to gain possession but a Bulldog attack error gave the Jaguars the set three victory, 25-18.

The teams traded points evenly to start the fourth frame, with South Alabama fighting to maintain a two-point lead.  Trailing by two, 12-10, Samford scored three in a row capped by a kill by Emily Meitz to take the lead as South Alabama took a timeout.  The lead went back-and-forth as each team looked to pull away when Samford, trailing 15-13, charged ahead with a 6-0 run to move up 19-15.  Up by five later, 23-18, Katie Murphy knocked in a kill to give Samford possession and Alexis Bauer sealed it with a service ace to give the Bulldogs the 25-18 set victory and the 3-1 match victory.

ATLANTA, Ga. ---- Samford earned a hard-fought 3-0 sweep over Mercer Saturday, including a long third set that capped an undefeated weekend at the Georgia State Invitational in Atlanta.

The 33-31 third set was Samford's (5-5) longest since 2007, the longest under Head Coach Derek Schroeder.  The win gives the Bulldogs a perfect 3-0 mark on the weekend, as they only dropped one set over three matches.  Three Bulldogs earned double-digit kills, led by Michaela Reesor with 15 on 34 swings.  Casey Garvey earned her highest assists total in a three-set match this season with 44.

Mercer (2-5) was Samford's fourth-straight opponent to hit under .200, as they earned a .189 clip.  Jamie Duffy led their offense with 10 kills and a .320 hitting percentage.

The Bulldog offense got off to a hot start as they earned eight quick kills, paired with a Mercer attack error, to jump ahead 9-3 and force a Mercer timeout.  Samford extended its lead with a 9-5 run as they doubled up the Bears, 18-9.  The Bulldogs quickly reached set point, up 24-16, and Michaela Reesor sealed it with a kill to give Samford the 25-16 set win.

Play was much more even to begin the second frame, as the teams found themselves tied at 9-9.  The Bears started to pull away, leading 12-10, but the Bulldogs came right back and tied it at 12-12.  Samford built a two-point lead, up 18-16, and back-to-back kills by Reesor and Neisler stretched it to 20-16 as Mercer took a timeout.  The Bears threatened late, drawing within one down 22-21, but the Bulldogs closed it with a 3-1 run to take the set, 25-22, and move up 2-0 in the match.

The teams traded the small lead back-and-forth the open the third frame when up 9-8, Mercer scored three in a row to extend the Bears' lead to 12-8.  With Mercer leading 15-11, Samford scored three in a row to draw back within one, down 15-14, but the Bears moved the lead back up to four points as Samford took a timeout trailing 20-16.  The Bulldogs fought back and tied the set at 21-21, forcing Mercer to take a timeout.  The Bears reached set point first, up 24-23, and Samford took a timeout to regroup.  Samford staved off the Mercer attack as each team battled back-and-forth for set point.  Tied at 31-31, Katie Murphy set the Bulldogs up for match point and a Mercer attack error ended the extended set in Samford's favor, 33-31, to conclude the 3-0 sweep.

Next up, Samford takes a quick mid-week trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. CT.  The following weekend Samford hosts the Bulldog Invitational as they welcome Alcorn State, Tennessee Tech and Gardner-Webb for two days of matches beginning on Friday, Sept. 14.

Arizona State 3, College of Charleston 0

LAWRENCE, Kan. -  College of Charleston ended the Jayhawk Classic with a 3-0 loss to Arizona State on Saturday at the Horejsi Center in Lawrence, Kan.

The Cougars (4-4) struggled with attacking efficiency as Arizona State (7-2) held a 56-43 advantage in digs and kept CofC to an .037 hitting percentage.

Sloane White and Kelly Kolich were the offensive leaders for the Cougars as White finished with a seven kills and Kolich had six. Kerstin Koehler made four kills and six blocks, while White had five blocks. Kallie McKown reached double digits in digs with a mark of 14.

Junior Emily Neideffer was named to the Jayhawk Classic All-Tournament team after setting new career highs in kills on Friday and finishing with an attack percentage of .415.

Two Sun Devil players, Erica Wilson and Macey Gardner, tallied double digits in kills with Gardner notching 19 and Wilson tallying 15.

College of Charleston fell behind 4-0 in the first set and were ultimately unable to overcome that deficit. Arizona State hit at a rate of .361 and the Cougars managed just nine digs in the set. CofC made a run to cut the deficit to 18-14 after a block from White and kill from Kelly Kolich, but ASU sided out with a kill from Mercedes Binns and then a service ace from Macey Gardner. ASU finished the set on a 4-0 run to win, 25-17.

Arizona State opened up a slight lead but took a 15-10 lead and quickly extended it to 22-11 after several CofC attack errors. College of Charleston hit -.105 in the second set as Gardner and Wilson each had five kills apiece for the Sun Devils. Arizona State went on to win the set, 25-12.

The Cougars started strong in the third set, building a 6-2 lead off of strong play from White and several ASU attacking miscues. The Sun Devils rallied to cut the lead to 9-8, but CofC went another run and a Kolich kill gave CofC a 13-9 lead. Arizona State then reeled off five straight points to build a 14-13 advantage. Another late ASU run broke open an 18-all tie and gave the Sun Devils a 25-21 set victory.

College of Charleston will return home next week to host Georgetown, Presbyterian and Michigan State in the final non-conference tournament of the season.

UC Santa Barbara 3, Georgia Southern 2

Georgia Southern 3, Portland 1

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Leah Sully logged 25 kills for UC Santa Barbara, and the Gauchos hit .421 in the decisive fifth set to hang on to defeat Georgia Southern 3-2 (25-16, 25-12, 22-25, 22-25, 15-10) in non-conference volleyball action at the Lobo Invitational Saturday afternoon.

It was the second five-set loss in a row for the Eagles (5-4), who fell 3-2 to the host Lobos last night. Nicole Jeschelnik led the way for GSU with 15 kills and 12 digs, while Meredith Paskert had 13 kills. Moriah Bellissimo and Enjoli Johnson each recorded nine kills, and Kate Van Dyke finished with 48 assists and 16 digs.

Sully took 71 swings and hit .261 for UCSB (6-4), adding 18 digs, and Alex Barbeau finished with 15 kills and nine digs. Ali Santi posted 54 assists and 18 digs, and Taylor Formico finished with 32 digs.

Georgia Southern fell behind early after dropping the first two sets by large margins. The Eagles battled back, winning the third and fourth frames by identical 25-22 scores to force a fifth set.

The Eagles trailed 7-6 midway through the fifth set following a Jeschelnik kill, but UCSB responded with a 5-1 run to open a 12-7 advantage. Paskert provided consecutive kills to trim the lead to 12-9, but Sully answered with a kill for UCSB. Formico got an ace for the Gauchos, and Britton Taylor ended the match with a kill, one of her nine in the match.

With the score tied 17-17 in the third set, Bellissimo sparked a 5-0 GSU run with a kill and a combined block with Kayla Henderson. The Gauchos trimmed the margin to 23-22, but Johnson and Henderson combined for a big block and UCSB had a hitting error to end the set.

The fourth set was also nip and tuck throughout, and with GSU trailing 21-20, Jeschelnik got consecutive kills, and Bellissimo added another as the Eagles took a 23-21 lead. After UCSB cut the margin to 23-22, Jeschelnik came up with another big kill, and the Gauchos committed a setting error to even the match 2-2.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Meredith Paskert led four Georgia Southern volleyball players in double-figure kills with 17 as the Eagles halted a two-game losing skid with a 3-1 (25-17, 25-16, 18-25, 25-23) victory over Portland in their final match of the Lobo Invitational Saturday night.

Jamie DeRatt collected 13 kills and 10 digs for GSU (6-4), and Enjoli Johnson was credited with 12 kills. Moriah Bellissimo posted 10 kills and five digs, while Kate Van Dyke recorded 48 assists and 17 digs.

Ariel Usher led Portland (5-5) with 15 kills, and Jacky Rodriguez finished with 15 digs.

Leading the match 2-1, the Eagles overcame a 20-17 deficit in the fourth set. GSU ran off four straight points, three coming on kills by DeRatt, Paskert and Bellissimo, to pull ahead 21-20.

Then with the score tied 22-22, Bellissimo scored two points on a kill and a service ace. After an Usher kill for Portland, Kym Coley put a ball down off an assist from Van Dyke to end the match.

The Eagles open play in the SpringHill Suites Invitational at Hanner Fieldhouse Thursday night. Georgia Southern will take on South Alabama at 7 p.m. The Eagles also host Wisconsin Friday at 7 p.m. and a pair of matches Saturday.

Northeastern 3, Elon 0

Elon 3, East Carolina 1

DURHAM, N.C. - Using the energy of a loud Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Elon volleyball team rebounded from a loss earlier in the day to defeat East Carolina in its final game of the Duke Classic today, Sept. 8. The Phoenix (5-6) fell to Northeastern (8-2), 3-0 (16-25, 17-25, 25-27), before claiming a 3-1 (25-16, 18-25, 25-21, 25-17) victory over the Pirates (1-8).

After Northeastern jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first set, a block by Celia Rose Eddy and a kill by Megan Gravley helped the Phoenix pull within one, 5-4. Tendler was forced to call the Elon's first timeout with the team down by four, 9-5, but a kill by Gravley cut the deficit down to three, 9-6. With the Huskies serving set point, 24-14, the Phoenix was able to score two straight to keep the set alive with a block by Gravley and Ana Nicksic and an ace by Nicksic, but Northeastern would go on to win, 25-16.

Down by four in the second, 8-4, Elon scored two straight with the help of a kill by Eddy to get within two of the Huskies. An ace by Nicksic pulled the Phoenix within one, 9-8, while a solo block by Eddy and a kill by Chanelle Smith helped the maroon and gold stay within striking distance of the Huskies. After a 6-2 run by Northeastern, Elon closed the gap to four, 19-15, off a kill and ace by Catherine Head and a kill by Eddy. The Huskies would then pull away and take a 2-0 match lead after a 25-17 second-set win.

Two kills by Gravley gave the Phoenix an early 3-1 lead before the Huskies came back to take a slight advantage in the third set. Elon tied the set at six with the help of kills by Eddy and Carly Ledbetter. Down by two, 10-8, another kill by Ledbetter and a block by Nicksic and Kris Harris tied the score at 10-all. With the set still tied, 13-all, the maroon and gold jumped out to a two-point lead off a kill by Eddy, 15-13. The set remained close with the Huskies and Phoenix trading off points and neither team taking more than a one-point advantage. Northeastern reached set point first, 24-23, but Elon scored two straight off strong blocks by Danielle Smith and Eddy and then by Harris and D. Smith to take set point, 25-24. However, the Huskies won the final three points to claim the set, 27-25, and the match.

Eddy and Gravley led the maroon and gold on offense with nine kills each. The Phoenix dominated the Huskies at the net on defense, out blocking Northeastern 8-2. Eddy finished the match with five blocks, two solo, while Harris and D. Smith each tallied three.

With a mostly pro-Elon crowd in Cameron Indoor, Elon stormed out to a 6-1 lead against ECU in the first set off kills by Harris, Gravley and Eddy, forcing an early Pirate timeout. East Carolina scored out of the timeout but the Phoenix then put together a 6-0 run with the help of blocks by Eddy and C. Smith and kills by D. Smith and C. Smith to go up by 10, 12-2. After the Pirates pulled within eight, 14-6, the maroon and gold scored four straight to take a 12-point advantage, 18-6. With Elon leading 23-11, ECU managed a five-point run to cut its deficit to seven, 23-16. The Phoenix would close the set with a kill by D. Smith and a block by Harris and C. Smith to win 25-16. Elon held ECU to a -.038 hitting percentage in the first set, while the Phoenix hit .440.

The Phoenix continued its momentum into the second set and jumped out to a 5-1 lead off kills by Harris and Gravley and an ace by Alli Nogi. After the Pirates came back to tie the set and take a one-point lead, 6-5, the maroon and gold scored three straight off kills by Harris and Eddy and a block by Gravley and Eddy to take a two-point lead, 8-6. ECU regained the lead by one, 13-12, but a 4-1 run by the Phoenix with the help of three kills by C. Smith put Elon up again by two, 16-14. The Pirates would close out the set on an 11-2 run and even the match at one set each with a 25-18 win.

Kills by Gravley and Eddy and an ace by Harris helped Elon score the first four points of the third set as the Phoenix opened to an 8-3 lead. After an ace by Ali Deatsch put the maroon and gold up seven, 10-3, the Pirates went on a 4-0 run to pull within three. After an Elon timeout, the maroon and gold scored five of the next seven points to move its advantage to five, 14-9, and force ECU's final timeout of the set. A 4-0 run helped the Phoenix increase its lead to eight, 19-11, before the Pirates scored eight of the next 10 to pull within two of Elon, 21-19. The Phoenix pulled away and won the set, 25-21, on a final kill by C. Smith.

With Elon holding a 8-4 lead in the fourth set, the Phoenix used a 5-2 run with kills by C. Smith and Harris, a block by Eddy and Gravley and an ace by Nicksic to take a six-point advantage, 12-6. After back-to-back kills by Gravley and Nicksic put the maroon and gold up 14-8, Elon continued with a seven-point lead off a kill by C. Smith to take a 16-9 advantage. The Pirates cut its deficit to four, 21-17, but the Phoenix closed out the set with four straight to win 25-17 and take the 3-1 match victory.

Gravley led all players with 14 kills, while C. Smith finished with 11 and D. Smith recorded 10. On defense, Deatsch tallied a match-high 19 digs and Eddy finished with five blocks.

Elon will return home to Alumni Gym for a match against High Point on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m.

Central Michigan 3, Western Carolina 1

Western Carolina 3, Campbell 2

Raleigh, N.C. - Western Carolina volleyball (3-7) snapped a six-match losing streak, downing the Campbell Camels, 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 25-19, 20-25, 15-12) in the second match of the day at the North Carolina State Courtyard Midtown Invitational in Raleigh, N.C. Three Catamounts set career-highs in kills, led by sophomore Jordan Timmermann who tallied 21 kills and added four blocks.

Before the Campbell match in its first match of the day, Western fell to Central Michigan, 3-1 (26-24, 19-25, 8-25, 18-25) despite winning a hard-fought first set, needing an extra point to do so. The set stayed within two the entire set except for a 19-16 lead in the Catamounts' favor when WCU went on a 3-0 run behind the serve of Jordan Timmermann. The Chippewas would come back to tie the set at 19 with a 3-0 run of their own with two consecutive kills by Kaitlyn McIntyre.

The set remained close with WCU picking up set point at 24-23. A kill by CMU's Lindsey Dulude, forced the extra play with the match tied at 24. Western responded with a kill by Leah Butler off the Tina Nazario set. A CMU attack error gave Western Carolina the early 1-0 lead in the match with the 26-24 win. Western Carolina hit at a .375 clip with 15 kills and no errors in the first set. The lead would be short-lived for the Catamounts.

Western Carolina continued to roll from its momentum from the first set by going on an early 7-0 run behind the serve of Morgan Cochran to give WCU a 7-1 lead before the Catamounts' leader in kills - sophomore outside hitter  Caitlin Piechota - rolled her ankle and left the floor. The Chippewas then chipped away at the lead, eventually tying the match at 14 thanks in large part to a 5-0 run with Samantha Brawley serving for CMU. Runs of three and four evened the match at a game apiece with CMU winning the set 25-19.

Picking up the third set 25-8, Central Michigan rode its two-set momentum jumping out to a 12-7 lead with a 7-0 run.  The Chippewas would maintain a cushion throughout the final stanza with the Catamounts getting within five late, but CMU would take the set and the match 25-18.

In match two, the Catamounts - still without Piechota - found offense from four players who had career days.

In set one, Campbell led until a service error evened the score at 10. With the score tied at 11, WCU went on a 5-0 run behind the serve of Morgan Cochran. During the run, the Camels committed an attack error, a ball handling error and a bad set. Campbell would pull within two at 20-18, but Western pulled away and took the set 25-22.

The two teams would then alternate winning sets, forcing a decisive fifth set, the second of the week for the Catamounts. Western Carolina held a lead until the Camels tied things up at nine, before going ahead 10-9. WCU would answer with a 4-0 run to take a 13-10 lead. A kill by sophomore Addy George gave the Catamounts a 15-12 win in the fifth set and its third win of the season.

One of the Catamounts with a career- high in kills was George. The middle blocker hit a .556 clip, nailing down 12 kills. She also picked up four blocks. Freshman Nicole Ford stepped in for the injured Piechota and notched a personal best 11 kills. Sophomore Leah Butler - who had a career-high 17 kills against UNC Asheville on Tuesday - connected on 12 kills.

Setter Tina Nazario dished out a personal-best 54 assists, picked up eight digs and two kills.

Western Carolina returns to action on Tuesday with another road match, this time traveling to Johnson City, Tennessee to take on the ETSU Bucs at 7:00 pm.

Texas Tech 3, Furman 2

Towson 3, Furman 1

MISSOULA, MONT. - Texas Tech snapped the Furman volleyball team's eight-match winning streak Saturday, handing the Paladins a 3-2 (25-15, 21-25, 25-19, 16-25, 15-12) defeat at the Best Western Grant Creek Inn Invitational.

Furman built a slight 4-3 lead in the opening set before the Red Raiders claimed five-straight points to grab control, en route to a 25-15 set victory.  The Paladins answered in the second set, breaking open a 20-20 tie by winning five of the final six points to tie the match at one set apiece.

Furman took a 5-2 lead in set three before Texas Tech scored nine-consecutive points to put the match out of reach, as the Red Raiders led 2-1 in sets following a 25-19 win.  The Paladins came out determined to even the score in set four, leading virtually wire-to-wire for the 25-16 victory. 

The teams were tied at four in the decisive fifth set before a 7-2 run put the Red Raiders up by five.  The Paladins came within three points at 13-10, then a kill by senior Chandler Ambrester cut the deficit to two at 14-12, but a final kill by Emily Ehrle sealed the 15-12 victory for Texas Tech.

Ambrester led the Paladins with 23 kills, while freshman Amelia Bohlander recorded a team-high .476 attack percentage with 11 kills.  Senior Natalie Braun added a double-double with 19 kills and 14 digs, and junior Elle Ross paced the Paladin defense with 18 digs.  Rookie Jo Wilks collected 57 assists and seven digs in the match-up, and senior Caroline Adams recorded four block assists and two solo blocks. 

Ehrle led the Red Raiders (9-1) with 23 kills, while Rachel Brummitt notched 20 digs in the victory.  Miara Cave and Meghan Stacy each added 11 kills, and three additional Texas Tech players were in double-figures for digs.

Later in the day, the Paladins suffered a 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 21-25, 25-22) loss to Towson in the final match of the tournament.  Braun, who represented Furman on the all-tournament team, recorded her seventh double-double of the season after leading the Paladins with 15 kills and 12 digs in the match-up.  Ambrester added 13 kills, while Adams and junior Christina Dorismond each tallied 10 kills.  Wilks posted 44 assists to lead Furman.

Towson (8-3) was led by Katy Buck, who notched 15 kills.  Paige Sekerak led the Tigers with 11 digs, and Alysha McCreary added six block assists. 

Furman (9-3) returns home to face Presbyterian Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Alley Gymnasium.

Florida A&M 3, Davidson 2

North Florida 3, Davidson 2

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Four players finishing in double digits in kills was not enough to help the Davidson volleyball team past Florida A&M, as the Wildcats fell to the Rattlers, 3-2, at the UNF/Radisson Invite on Saturday morning.  

Set scores were 25-19, 20-25, 24-26, 25-19, 11-15 as Davidson dropped its second straight five-set affair to fall to an even 3-3. Florida A&M earned its first win of the season, sitting at 1-7.

Caroline Brown led the way for the 'Cats with 20 kills and 18 digs, while Tindall Sewell was a close second with 17 kills.Hannah Rau (14 kills, six block assists), Taylor Pisel (10 kills, five block assists) and Ariel Ley (63 assists) were also among the 'Cats top performers. Molly Crenshaw chipped in with a team-high 22 digs in the match.

The Rattlers put three players in double-digits in kills, led by Yeisha Arcia's 20. Pamela Barrera and Maria Ceccarelli added 13 and 10, respectively. Diana Gonzales had 51 assists, while Karol Marquez dug out 32 attacks.

Set one started out close, with both teams even after a combined 12 points had been played. Davidson rattled off three straight to grab the lead at 9-6 and would hold it the remainder of the set. Up 13-11, Brown helped the 'Cats push the lead out to 19-13 with a pair of kills in a 6-2 spurt. The Rattlers burned a timeout to regroup. They cut the lead to three, 19-16, on a service ace, but kills from Rachel Earnhardt, Pisel and Rau got the lead out to seven and Davidson closed it out on a kill from Earnhardt for the 25-19 advantage.

Florida A&M used a 8-2 run to break up an early 5-all tie to take control of set two. Arcia provided the offense, hammering home five kills in the spurt. Davidson battled back and cut the deficit to two, 21-19, after a Rattler timeout, but Florida A&M sealed the set with a 4-1 run to knot the match up.

Out of the break, the third set went down to the wire. The Wildcats picked up a three-point advantage at 8-5 on back-to-back Brown and Rau kills. They maintained the lead until the Rattlers tied things up at 10-10 on a Marquez kill. The Rattlers then pushed the lead out to 12-10, forcing Davidson to use a timeout. Then after falling behind 21-15, the 'Cats used one last charge, knotting things up at 24-all thanks to a 5-0 run. Sewell and Brown combined for three of the points on kills. Florida A&M finished it with the final two points.

It looked as though the Rattlers would seal up the match in four sets, jumping out to a 10-6 lead in set four. They held the lead the majority of the set, but Davidson never backed down and it paid off in the end. Down 19-16, Brown sparked a 9-0 run to close out the set. She had three kills in the run to help force the final set.

Davidson had an early 4-3 lead in set five, but Florida A&M grabbed a 9-6 lead on a Wildcat attack error. The Wildcats got to within two points twice, 10-12 and 11-13, but the Rattlers' Arcia concluded the match with a kill for the 15-11 win.

The five-set match was Davidson's fourth in its first six matches.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A double-double from Caroline Brown wasn't enough for the Davidson volleyball team, who dropped a 3-2 decision to North Florida in the final game of the UNF/Radisson Invitational on Saturday evening. 
 
Brown recorded a team-high 19 kills and 21 digs. She also accounted for five blocks and two service aces in the match. Ariel Ley and Molly Crenshaw recorded 48 assists and 36 digs, respectively, while Tindall Sewell added 14 kills and a pair of assists. Sewell and Hannah Rau each put up five blocks in the match for the 'Cats, who fall to 3-4 on the season with the loss. Taylor Pisel also factored into the scoring for the Wildcats with 10 kills. 

Crenshaw earned all-tournament team honors for her efforts.
 
Carolyn Jenkins and Anna Budinska each posted 17 kills for UNF, while Nicole Baran had 33 digs on the night. Britt Claessen's 60 assists led the way for the Ospreys, as did Jenkins's five blocks. 
 
The 'Cats controlled the first set from the start, shooting out to an 11-2 lead on a block by Sewell and Brown. The Ospreys were forced to call a timeout, but still could not compose themselves as Davidson took a 15-7 lead on back-to-back kills by Rau. Kills by Sewell and Brown, along with a slew of UNF miscues, put the 'Cats in front 22-14 and they rode the lead until the end. A kill by Rachel Earnhardt put the set away 25-18 and put the 'Cats up 1-0. 
 
The second set was much of the same for the Wildcats, who found themselves ahead 8-2 on a block by Brown and Rau. The advantage would remain at six with a kill by Rau, making it 12-6. However, North Florida scored six straight points to tie the set at 12-12 soon after. The Wildcats quickly swayed things back in their favor, as consecutive kills by Brown capped a 6-0 scoring run that put them in front, 18-12. They were able to finish things off from there, taking a 2-0 match lead after earning the 25-21 win in set number two. 
 
It was a tougher battle for the 'Cats in the third set, as the Ospreys took a slim 10-8 lead. After UNF stretched its lead to 15-12, the Wildcats fought back with three straight points to tie the game at 15-15. A kill by Sewell and a pair of errors by UNF then put Davidson in front 20-18. The Ospreys tied things up once again 21-21 and put together a 3-1 run to take the set 25-23 and force a fourth set. 
 
Davidson scored the first three points of the fourth set, but UNF would fight back to tie the game early on at 3-3. The teams tied things up once again at 10-10, and the squads would continue on a tight battle for the rest of the match. A service ace by Brown put Davidson up by two, but the Ospreys would come back to win the set 25-23 and tie the match at 2-2. 
 
UNF controlled the final set from the start, taking a 5-1 lead. The 'Cats picked up a pair of points, but the Osprey scored five straight to take a 10-point advantage. A kill by Paige Pridgeon closed things out as the 'Cats took the 15-5 loss to fall 3-2 in the match. 
 
The 'Cats will host UW-Green Bay, High Point and NC Central at Belk Arena next weekend for the Wildcat Classic.  Davidson will kick things off on Friday at 7 p.m. when they take on the Panthers of High Point.

UNCG 3, North Carolina A&T 0

American 3, UNCG 2

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The UNCG volleyball team recorded its first sweep of the season Saturday morning, downing crosstown rival North Carolina A&T 3-0 (25-9, 25-17, 25-18) at Fleming Gymnasium in the second match of the Spartan-Aggie Invitational.

The Spartans (4-2) hit .299 in the contest, their second-highest hitting mark of the season, putting down 43 kills on 97 attempts with just 14 errors. Meanwhile, the Aggies (0-10) hit for a negative percentage in the first two sets, ending the match at .031. UNCG dominated the stat sheet, tallying more kills (43-21), digs (50-32) and assists (41-20) than its visitors.

Freshman outside hitter Lauren Betlach nearly produced a double-double for the second consecutive match, putting down 11 kills to go along with eight digs. She shared match-high honors in kills with redshirt junior middle Olivia Humphries as the pair hit .292 and .259 respectively.

Pacing the back row was junior Kellie Orewiler, who picked up a match-best 15 digs, while sophomore Emily McMurtrey handed out 35 assists for an average of 11.67 per set.

With the score tied at three in the first set, UNCG scored four of the next five to assume a 7-4 lead and force an A&T timeout. The Spartans were never threatened in the frame, limiting the Aggies to nine points and hitting .462 on their way to a 1-0 advantage in the match.

The second interval was much closer as A&T grabbed an early 9-7 lead. UNCG responded, forcing two-straight Aggie attack errors to knot the score. The visitors' offensive woes continued when Brooke Stamnes committed three-straight miscues, allowing the Spartans to move in front by at 15-12 count. A&T could not recover from the run as the home team cruised to the 25-17 win and a 2-0 match advantage.

A bevy of Aggie mistakes gave UNCG an early 5-2 lead in the third set and the Spartans grew it to 13-8 on a McMurtrey kill. A&T would pull within 14-11 when Aprill McRae posted a kill, but the Aggies could not sustain the momentum and junior Morgan Freeman ended the match with a kill to the middle of the court.

UNCG closes the Spartan-Aggie Invitational this evening at 7 p.m., hosting American University inside Fleming Gymnasium.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG took American University, a squad that has won 10 of the last 11 Patriot League championships, down to the wire Saturday night, rallying from a 2-0 deficit only to fall by the slimmest of margins in the deciding set to end the Spartan-Aggie Invitational inside Fleming Gymnasium. All three of UNCG's losses this campaign have been in five-set affairs.

Freshman Katherine Santiago continued the sensational start to her career in the match, racking up a match and career-high 32 digs. She was named the tournament's top libero and earned a spot on the all-tournament team for her efforts during the weekend as she averaged 5.15 digs per set. Sophomore Vicky Harley was also recognized on the all-tournament team, piling up a .259 hitting percentage as well as 1.18 blocks per set during the event.

In Saturday night's match, junior Karrian Chambers fell just short of a career best, racking up 20 kills on 51 swings with nine errors to post a .216 hitting mark. However, she did tally a personal-high four aces - all in the fourth set. Redshirt junior Olivia Humphries also reached double figures offensively with 10 kills. Sophomore Emily McMurtrey continued to display growth, dishing out 49 assists and putting down five kills. Additionally, junior Kellie Orewiler chipped in 14 digs to aid the Spartan cause.

The teams were virtually even in many statistical categories, both recording 60 kills while the Eagles had a slight advantage in assists (57-56) and digs (78-75). American arguably won the match at the net, posting 15.0 blocks as compared to 8.0 for the home side. The Eagles also hit .207, which included a .281 showing in the fifth frame, while limiting UNCG to a .152 performance.

American jumped out to a 4-1 advantage on a Harley attacking error, but Kylann Scheidt returned the favor a few points later, allowing the Spartans to tied things at six apiece. It was a tight frame throughout, until two-straight errors gave the visitors a 19-16 cushion. UNCG would force tie scores at 20, 21, 22 and 23, but two Eagle kills pushed American over the top and to a 25-23 victory.

The Spartans fell behind 8-4 in the second interval and couldn't recover. The Eagles quickly ended the set by out-scoring UNCG 17-8.

Coming out of the intermission, a Chambers kill pushed the Spartans in front by a 10-7 count. American responded with three-straight points to knot the score at 10. After a Bree Scarborough kill kept the set tied at 19, two kills and an Eagle attacking miscue afforded UNCG a 22-19 lead. American would call timeout, but the Spartans had just enough to stave off their guests - taking the third set by two points at 26-24.

UNCG took control of the fourth interval and led 12-7 when Humphries pounded the ball down on the Eagles' side. American's subsequent timeout backfired as Chambers scored three of the next four points to make it a 16-7 score. An Eagle block made things interesting and pulled American to within 17-13, but the Spartans allowed the visitors just three more points and cruised to a 25-16 win. UNCG would play a deciding fifth set for the third time in the last four matches.

Things looked grim for the Blue and Gold early in the decider as the Eagles grabbed leads of 8-5 and 10-7, but a timeout proved beneficial for the Spartans as they rattled off three-straight points - including a kills from Humphries and Chambers. After a kill by Sara Rishell made it match point for her team at 14-12, UNCG received kills from an unlikely combination of McMurtrey and Santiago to ward off two of American's potential game-winning rallies. The Spartans were able to tie the score at 15 and 16 before two kills allowed the Eagles to escape with an 18-16 victory and the match.

UNCG continues its seven-match homestand Thursday, Sept. 13, when it hosts Ohio University. First serve at Fleming Gymnasium is slated for 7 p.m.

Navy 3, The Citadel 1

Air Force 3, The Citadel 0

September 8, 2012

Arlington, Va. - Middle hitter Jessica Maxwell recorded a team-high 13 kills and Ise d'Angelo contributed nine kills, but it was Navy that emerged with a 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-15, 25-17) victory over The Citadel to complete the All-Academy Tournament on Saturday evening.

Maxwell was on point, driving home 13 kills in 21 total attacks for a .524 attack percentage, while d'Angelo added nine kills and Lauren Hurt finished with eight. The Bulldogs (0-10) backrow of Emily Dalton (13 digs) and Rachael Farrell (11 digs) highlighted the defensive efforts. Mikaela Tracy quarterbacked the offense with 36 assists.

The trio of Olivia Yeager (16 kills), Erin Fortner (13 kills) and Katie Sylakowski (12 kills) provided a 58-42 edge for Navy on the front row. Karika completed a double-double effort with 11 digs. Also among the statistical leaders for the Midshipmen were Alex Karika (46 assists), Christy Rapp (18 digs) and Carolyn Ewert (10 kills). Navy leaves the tournament with a 3-7 overall record.

The Citadel opened with five straight points in the first set, highlighted by a pair of Erin Bucherl service aces, but Navy turned the tides with the next eight straight points. They held at least a two point lead until a kill by d'Angelo knotted the set at 12-12. The back-and-forth scoring continued until a kill by Fortner and subsequent errors by the Bulldogs allowed for a 20-16 Navy lead. The Citadel was unable to draw any closer than four as the Naval Academy won 25-20.

In similar fashion to the first set the Cadets again took a lead in second set, 11-8, this time due in large part to a pair of kills by Maxwell and Cassie Uribe. Navy hung close, staying within two, before Farrell's five points in serve pushed the lead to 19-12. A surge by the Mids narrowed the lead to 23-18, but kills by Maxwell down the stretch completed the 25-20 victory.

Navy came out of the intermission and took control of the third set with a 6-3 lead on a Yeager service ace. The Dogs pieced together an 8-3 run, behind kills from Hurt and Uribe to draw even at 11. The Midshipmen responded behind Karika, scoring seven of eight points to assume an 18-12 lead. The Bulldogs managed just three more points as Navy completed the 25-15 win.

That momentum carried over into the early going of the fourth set for Navy, who jumped out to a 10-5 lead. The Mids extended their lead to 18-9 behind three kills from Yeager and did not look back. Maxwell teamed with Hurt and Farrell among the final eight Citadel points, but Navy defeated the Bulldogs 25-17 to complete the victory.

Outside hitter Ise d'Angelo drove home 10 kills and Rachael Farrell totaled seven in The Citadel's 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-14) loss to Air Force in the afternoon session of the All-Academy Tournament.

Farrell was also a force for The Citadel's defense with 13 digs and three assisted blocks, followed closely by an eight-dig effort from Emily Dalton. Freshman setter Mikaela Tracy continued to get herself acclimated to the Bulldogs system with 28 assists.

The trio of Victoria Foster (11 kills), Lizzy Carpenter (nine kills) and Cami Richan (nine kills) provided Air Force with a 49-34 edge in kills. The Falcons converted 49 kills in 110 total attacks, finishing with a .318 attack percentage. Meanwhile, Maiya Perich was responsible for 24 digs and teammate Hillary Keltner handed out 37 assists.

Both teams opened the match strong as the opening set reached a 9-9 tie, the first of three consecutive, before a kills by Taylor Parker gave the Falcons a slim 14-12 lead. Shifting between a three and four-point lead, despite kills by Farrell and d'Angelo, AFA took a 20-17 lead on a kill by Richan. The Falcons allowed just two points down the stretch and completed the 25-19 victory on a Keltner service ace.

The Falcons continued their offensive surge in the second match, taking advantage of the service games of Perich and Josalynn Wise. Behind four kills by Foster and three off the hand of Carpenter AFA opened a 17-9 lead. Foster then teamed with Richan to provide a solid front row that finished with five kills among the final eight points to complete the 25-16 win.

The Citadel responded with a solid offensive output in the third set, taking advantage of kills by Lauren Hurt and Farrel to assume the early 6-3 lead. Air Force countered with five straight points, including a pair of unforced errors to gain an 8-6 advantage. The Citadel quickly bounced back and behind kills from Farrell and Jessica Maxwell drew the score even at 10. AFA rattled off 15 of the sets next 19 points, capitalizing on six unforced errors in the process, to complete the 25-14 three-set victory.

The Citadel will appear in its final in-season tournament next weekend when the Dogs travel to Charleston Southern to meet Wofford, Stetson and the host Buccaneers.

VCU 3, App State 2

Virginia 3, App State 0

Richmond, Va. - App State and VCU played perhaps the best match of the day at the VCU/Third Degree Sportswear Invitational as both teams combined to give fans a thrilling back-and-forth match throughout. The tone for the match was set early when the crowd in attendance was treated to an intense first set that featured 16 ties and five lead changes.

The Mountaineers were able to build an early 4-1 lead before the Rams battled back to jump in front by a 7-6 score. Both teams would trade jabs throughout the remainder of the set as neither was able to build a lead of more than two points.

With its back to the wall and facing elimination, Appalachian was able to stave off defeat twice before finally gaining the upper hand and finishing off the Rams in a 29-27 set victory.

VCU gained an early advantage in the second set and never trailed en route to a 25-16 victory and withstood several Mountaineer runs to take the third set by a 25-21 score.

Appalachian State roared back with a dominant third-set effort, building a lead of as many as nine points, as it cruised to a 25-14 win to draw the match even at 2-2.

The fifth and deciding set also proved to be a thriller as the teams traded the lead three times and saw the score tied on 11 occasions.

It was the Rams who would prevail in the end by an 18-16 final in the fifth set as the Mountaineers were unable to overcome several attack errors in the final stages.

Lindsey Sauls and Jacqui Spurgeon each notched 14 kills in the loss a day after setting new career-highs in a win over Georgetown. Dalton Tolliver finished with 11 kills while Lauren Gray set a career-high with 10.

Courtney Rhein (15), Paige Brown (11) and Lauren Brown (11) each tallied double-digit dig totals while P. Brown set a new career-high with 45 assists.

The Apps hit .237 as a team while limiting VCU to .216 on the attack. The Rams finished with 9.5 blocks while the Mountaineers tallied four.

The Mountaineers were unable to rebound from an energy-draining, emotional loss in the first match of the day as they fell to Virginia in straight sets in the weekend finale.

UVa was rarely in danger as it grabbed set victories of 25-18, 25-21 and 25-20. The Cavaliers used several mid-set runs to grab the lead in each of the three sets.

Appalachian's best chance at picking up a set victory came in the third set when it held a 14-11 advantage, but Virginia rattled off six-straight points to take a lead it would not relinquish.

Gray, Spurgeon and Tolliver each notched a team-high six kills while Rhein recorded nine digs and P. Brown tallied 19 assists. The Apps hit just .070 on the attack while Virginia posted a .207 attack percentage.

The Mountaineers will return to action next weekend when they face Campbell, Toledo and Wake Forest at the 2012 Wake Forest Black & Gold Challenge.

MATCH NOTES: The Mountaineers dropped to 175-165 all-time in regular-season tournaments... the Mountaineers saw their streak of four-straight wins in five-set matches come to an end... Rhein increased her career-dig total to 1,483... she needs 346 more digs to become App State's career digs leader.

Kennesaw State 3, Chattanooga 1

Chattanooga 3, North Carolina Central 0

Kennesaw, Ga. - The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team wrapped up the Kennesaw State Owls Classic with a 3-0 win Saturday evening over North Carolina Central, and freshman Lauren Gainer was named to the all-tournament team for her performance in the four-match weekend.

The Mocs dropped a tight match with host Kennesaw State to begin the final day of the tournament. The Owls took a 3-1 win over UTC with two sets decided by less than five points.

KSU won the first frame 25-21 over Chattanooga. With each team evenly matched, Kennesaw State recording two kills more while UTC committed just one more error, the Owls took advantage of more attacks than the Mocs. KSU managed a .111 attack percentage in the first set while Chattanooga's attacking percentage stood at .023.

The Mocs took the next set with a convincing 25-12 score. Chattanooga downed five more kills than the Owls in the frame and was nearly flawless with only one error. UTC led Kennesaw State the entire set and only allowed KSU to score back-to-back points once during the frame.

Chattanooga battled KSU to a 19-19 score in the third set, looking to take a 2-1 match lead, but the Owls overcame the Mocs 25-22. UTC was able to eclipse KSU 20-19 on an attacking error, but Kennesaw State scored three quick points to take the lead the sealed the set off with a kill for the three-point victory.

UTC looked to stay alive in the match with a win in the fourth set, but Kennesaw State mirrored the Mocs performance in the second set to down Chattanooga 25-11 to take the 3-1 match win. UTC was only allowed back-to-back points once during the final frame, and the Owls pulled away on an eight-point run to put themselves out of reach.

Despite the loss, freshman Briana Reid was an offensive force for the Mocs with 11 kills and 30 attacks in the match. Gainer followed up with 9 kills while freshman Sarah Batterton and senior Christina Teter each recorded six kills.

Junior Bridget Camacho picked up 29 assists and senior libero Paula Passmore was solid on defense with 17 digs.

Chattanooga picked up its win against North Carolina Central to wrap up play in the Owls Classic Saturday evening, taking the match 3-0.

The Eagles tied the Mocs 21-21 late in the match after being unable to hold Chattanooga to a four-point deficit. A couple of attacking errors and kills from Gainer and Batterton gave UTC a 25-21 victory in the match's first set.

The Mocs took the first two points of the second set, but North Carolina Central poured on the points during the next 12 rallies to take a 9-5 lead over UTC. Despite the 9-3 run by the Eagles, Chattanooga climbed out of the four point hole to take a 17-13 advantage. North Carolina Central was not done yet, however, as they tied the Mocs with an 18-18 score. UTC sealed the second set with a 7-2 run to soar over the Eagles 25-20.

Chattanooga completed the match-sweep with a 25-19 win in the third set. A tight 20-18 score late in the frame, two kills from Teter and a kill from freshman Julimar Alvarado put the Mocs out of reach.

Teter led the Mocs offensive attack with 15 kills, and Camacho collected 25 of 29 assists in the match.

Gainer was named to the all-tournament team for her performance over the weekend. The freshman not only downed 32 kills but also blocked 14 opposing attacks while digging 32 spikes on defense.

The Mocs return to action Tuesday night as they host Alabama State at Maclellan Gym at 7 p.m. Admission is free and will feature post-match autographs from players and coaches. Live stats and live video will also be provided for the Chattanooga home game. UTC is 4-0 this season at home.