Box Score CONWAY, SC – The Winthrop volleyball team got its fifteenth win on the season and eighth in the conference as the Eagles took down Coastal Carolina in five sets (25-16, 20-25, 25-15, 23-25, 15-8) Friday night at Kimbel Arena.
The win puts the Eagles at 15-7 on the season and 8-2 in Big South play, as the Chanticleers fall to 10-17 on the year and 3-7 in the conference.
Defense was the name of the game tonight as the Eagles compiled 78 digs and 14 total team blocks on the night. Freshman middle blocker
Jennica Mullins found production at the net as she finished the night with 8 blocks, leading the team. In the digs category, junior defensive specialist
Kristin Cruse set her new season best with 21 digs on the night. Behind Cruse was freshman libero
Catherine Brusie with 16 and freshman outside hitter
Lauren Landsman with 15. Sophomore defensive specialist
Carly DeBruhl also added 11 tonight. The offense found the floor 48 times as junior outside hitter
Carolyn Weed led the Eagles with 12 kills and Mullins was right behind her with 10. Sophomore setter
Stephanie Palmer dished out 39 assists and finished with nine digs.
“I thought
Jennica Mullins showed what she was capable of at the net,” head coach Julie Torbett said. “It was our defense that ended up bailing us out.”
In the opening set, the Eagles took a lead from the first point and never gave that up throughout the whole set. Palmer and Weed both finished with three kills in the set as Winthrop cruised to a 25-16 set victory. The Chanticleers could not find any offensive production as they finished with just nine kills, 10 errors and a -.023 hitting percentage.
Coastal came out strong in the second set, going on an 11-6 run to open up the set. The Eagles tried to regroup, but the Chanticleer offense was too much as Coastal captured the set, 25-20. The Chanticleers found the floor 12 times and hit for .242, as Winthrop could only manage 10 kills and a .062 hitting percentage.
After the intermission, the Eagles started quickly as they took a lead at the 10-4 mark. Winthrop continued its offensive explosion throughout the set as the Eagles finished the set with a .294 hitting percentage and won the set, 25-15. Winthrop also finished the set with four blocks, as Mullins posted three.
The Chanticleers came out strong in the fourth set as they took a commanding lead at the 14-9 mark. The Eagles remained patient in the set and slowly closed the gap all the way till they tied the set at 19-19. The teams traded points from that mark, but CCU attacked with four key kills to close out the set, 25-23. Coastal Carolina finished the set with 17 kills and a .289 hitting percentage.
Winthrop started early in the final set, running out to a, 8-4 lead as the teams had to swap sides, despite only having two kills to this point. The Eagles held on to that lead and took the set and the victory, 15-8.
The Chanticleers finished the match with 54 kills as Erika Lightsey paced Coastal with 13 on the night. The CCU defense posted 71 digs as Lindsay led the team with 21.
“Coastal came at us,” Torbett said. “Luckily we fought back.”
The Eagles also got some support from some Winthrop student-athletes in attendance.
“It was nice to have our cross country team there supporting us,” Torbett added. “We wish them the best of luck in the conference meet.”
Winthrop will be back on the court on Saturday, Oct. 29 as the Eagles travel south to take on Charleston Southern. That match is slated for 6 p.m.
