Box Score Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop volleyball team brought its conference winning streak to four straight victories as the Eagles took down UNC Asheville in four sets (25-16, 25-18, 30-32, 26-24) Friday night at the Winthrop Coliseum.
The win brings the Eagles to 17-7 mark overall and 10-2 in the Big South as UNC Asheville goes to 14-10 on the season and 7-4 in the conference.
Redshirt junior right side
Brittany Blackman and senior middle hitter
Becca Toor led the Eagles offense as they both posted 15 kills on the night. Behind Blackman and Toor were freshman middle blocker
Jennica Mullins with 10 kills and junior defensive specialist
Kristin Cruse as she found the floor with nine kills. As a team, Winthrop totaled 67 kills and a .291 hitting percentage.
The defense closed out the match with 84 digs and eight blocks. The backline was led by freshman outside hitter
Lauren Landsman with 21 digs. Following Landsman was sophomore setter
Stephanie Palmer with 18 and freshman libero
Catherine Brusie with 15. Cruse added 10 digs as she was just a kill away from her first career double-double. Palmer dished out 49 assists as she was two kills away from her third triple-double.
“We wanted to get Brittany (Blackman) more involved,” head coach Julie Torbett said. “We knew they had a big blocker on the outside and we did a great dishing her the ball.”
Winthrop took the early advantage in the opening set, taking a lead at the 5-4 mark. The Eagles maintained a lead throughout the set and won the set in convincing fashion, 25-16. Winthrop closed out the set with 16 kills as Toor lead the way with four and a .429 hitting percentage.
The teams traded points early in the second set as both teams had leads early. The Eagles took a lead at the 11-10 mark and never looked back. Winthrop captured the set, 25-18. The Eagles finished out the set with 15 kills and a .371 hitting percentage.
The third set saw 19 ties but Asheville came with the final two points as Meredith Foster pounded a kill and an attacking error by the Eagles gave the Bulldogs the win, 32-30. Asheville closed out the set with 23 kills and a .312 hitting percentage, slightly better than Winthrop's 20 kills and .259 mark.
The Bulldogs got off to a quick start in the fourth set, taking a lead at the 18-13 mark. The Eagles stormed back in the set, making the score even, 21-21. From that point, the teams continued to trade points until a kill came from Toor and an attacking error from Asheville's Cindi Miller gave the Eagles the set and the match, 26-24. Blackman finished the set with five kills, as Landsman dug out seven.
Asheville finished the match with 61 kills, 83 digs and a .201 hitting percentage. The offense was controlled by three Bulldogs as Anna Moore posted 18 kills, Cindi Miller finished with 17 kills and Foster tallied 14 kills and a .481 hitting percentage.
Winthrop will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 5 as the Eagles will host Gardner-Webb for a 2 p.m. showdown.
