Box Score Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop volleyball team captured its fifth straight victory as the Eagles defeated Gardner-Webb in straight sets (25-14, 25-22, 25-22) Saturday afternoon at the Winthrop Coliseum.

The Eagles improve to 18-7 on the season and 11-2 in the conference as Gardner-Webb falls to 9-18 on the year and 4-8 in the Big South.

Winthrop finished the match with 43 kills as senior middle hitter Becca Toor paced the Eagles with 12 on the day. Toor also finished with a hitting percentage of .667 and 3 blocks. The defense finished with 46 digs and 12 total team blocks, as freshman libero Catherine Brusie led the team with 13 digs and freshman middle blocker Jennica Mullins tallied five blocks. Sophomore setter Stephanie Palmer dished out 31 of Winthrop's 34 assists.

“We had a good overall game plan,” head coach Julie Torbett said. “The girls executed and we had a lot of fight.”

The first set was controlled by the Eagles as Winthrop found the floor with 13 kills and a .357 hitting percentage. The defense also showed at the net as the Eagles produced five total blocks as Winthrop took the set, 25-14.

Winthrop took command early in the second set, going up 12-6, forcing Gardner-Webb to regroup. The Runnin' Bulldogs crawled their way back into the set forcing a tie at the 22-22 mark. An attacking error by GWU, a kill from Cruse and Landsman's ace gave the Eagles the set, 25-22. Winthrop closed out the set with 17 kills as Toor tallied five.

“Becca is a tremendous leader,” Torbett said. “She's focused on volleyball and she keeps the team going.”

In the third set, the teams traded leads throughout the set, finding a deadlock at the 22-22 mark. A kill from Weed and a couple of attacking errors by Gardner-Webb gave Winthrop the set and the match, 25-22.

GWU was led by Lauren Evens who finished with a double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs.

The Eagles will be back on the court when Presbyterian College comes to the Winthrop Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 11. That match is slated for 7 p.m.