CHARLESTON, SC – Three players posted 13 kills apiece to lead the UNC Greensboro women’s volleyball team a 3-1 win over Charleston Southern in the first match of the Charleston Southern Invitational Tournament Friday afternoon. The victory marked the first for UNCG head coach Shawn Garus.
UNCG (1-5) won game one 30-26, before CSU cruised to a 30-16 win in game two, evening the match 1-1. UNCG responded with a 30-26 win in game three and put away the match with a 30-25 win in game four.
Senior Lori Collins, junior Hilary Overby and freshman Kaitlyn Nortz led UNCG with 13 kills each. Senior Adrian Hicks dished out 40 assists and recorded 10 digs. The Spartans hit a mediocre .163 for the match, but that was better than CSU’s .098 effort.
Tori Owens led CSU with 12 kills and 12 digs, while setter Katie O’Riordan had 34 kills and 11 digs.
In the second game of the day, UNCG lost a tough five-game match, 3-2, to South Alabama. In game one with the score tied 10-10, UNCG went on a run that would extend the lead to 29-21, before closing out the opening game with a 30-26 win.
The second game was a tight affair with neither team leading by more than three points until the Jags went on a 5-1spurt to grab a six point, 18-12, advantage. UNCG could not get any closer as the Jags went on to capture the 30-19 win.
Neither team could take control of the third game and with the contest tied at 14-14, South Alabama scored three consecutive points to take a 17-14 lead. The Jags increased their advantage to as many as six, 25-19, and looked to be in control. However, holding a 28-23 advantage, UNCG went on a 7-0 run to win the game and take the 30-28 win.
The Jags came back to win game four, 30-25, to tie the game 2-2, setting up a deciding fifth game. Trailing by one, 6-5, South Alabama's defense started a 9-1 run that gave USA a 14-7 lead. After a brief rally by UNCG, Jade Nuss sealed the victory with an attack the dropped in behind the Spartan defense.
Nortz led the Spartans with a season-high 17 kills, while Overby and Collins put away 14 and 12 kills respectively. Hicks doled out 47 assists. Overby and sophomore Alysia Rosvold each came up with 22 digs on the defensive end.
UNCG takes on Stetson tomorrow at 9 am in the final day of the Charleston Southern Invitational.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro def. Charleston Southern 3-1 (30-26, 16-30, 30-26, 30-25)
South Alabama def. UNC Greensboro 3-2 (26-30, 30-19, 28-30, 30-25, 15-10)
- UNCG -