Box Score Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop volleyball team dropped its second conference match of the season as the Eagles fell to Liberty in five sets (25-12, 17-25, 25-14, 22-25, 15-12) Friday night at the Winthrop Coliseum.

The loss puts the Eagles at 13-7 on the year and 6-2 in the conference as Liberty improves to 12-11 on the season and takes sole possession of first place with a 7-1 mark in the Big South.

Winthrop got its offensive production tonight from senior middle hitter Becca Toor and redshirt junior right side Brittany Blackman as both players finished the night with 12 kills. The defense totaled 77 digs on the night as four Winthrop players ended the night with double-digit digs. Freshman libero Catherine Brusie led the team with 18 digs as junior defensive specialist Kristin Cruse ended with 16. Sophomore defensive specialist Carly DeBruhl tallied 12 digs and freshman outside hitter Lauren Landsman notched 10 digs. Sophomore setter Stephanie Palmer dished out 43 assists.

The defense shined in the opening set for Liberty as the Flames totaled six blocks in the first 20 points of the set. The Eagles could not find the gaps against Liberty's front line as the Flames cruised to take the first set, 25-12. Liberty ended up finishing the set with seven total blocks.

Winthrop started to find those gaps in the second set as Toor finished the set with six kills and Blackman found the floor five times. The defense came alive as Cruse led the squad with nine digs as the team tallied 21 digs for the set. The Eagles captured the set 25-17 and tied the match.

“It's good to have (Brittany) Blackman producing,” head coach Julie Torbett said. “We're happy to be getting kills out of her.”

The Flames took the early advantage at the 13-12 mark and made a run from that point, scoring the next eight points. That run was too much for the Winthrop defense as Liberty took the third set, 25-14. The Eagles could only manage 10 kills for the set.

In the fourth set, the teams were even throughout the set as the biggest lead for either team was just four points. Winthrop took an advantage at the 20-19 mark and never gave up that lead, winning the set, 25-22.

The Eagles took the early advantage in the final set, 9-7, but the Flames countered the attack and rattled off four straight points, forcing Winthrop to regroup. The Eagles could not manage a comeback and fell to Liberty, 15-12.

For the match, the Flames blocked 17 balls as Loren Thomas led the team with three on the night. The backline also stepped up for Liberty as the Flames had 90 digs for the night.

“The attention will not be dropped tomorrow,” Torbett said. “We are going to give everything we got.”

The Eagles will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 21 when Winthrop plays host to Radford at the Winthrop Coliseum. That match is set for 2 p.m.