Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC – The Julie Torbett era got on the right track as the Winthrop volleyball team brought down the UNC Wilmington Seahawks in four sets (20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-15) on the opening day of 2011 season and the first day of the Winthrop Classic by Hampton Inn.
The win is the first season-opening victory since 2008 when the Lady Eagles swept Norfolk State in the Wake Forest Invitational.
Winthrop's strong defense was on display as four Eagle players found themselves with double-digit digs. Leading the way in the digs category was a pair of freshmen as libeiro
Catherine Brusie and defensive specialist
Lauren Landsman posted 17 and 15 digs respectively. Junior defensive specialist
Kristin Cruse finished the night with 14 digs and sophomore defensive specialist
Carly DeBruhl tallied 13. Winthrop finished with 75 digs as a team in the win.
“Our team has bought into our defensive system,” head coach Julie Torbett said. “That is what is going to win us games.”
Offensively, the Lady Eagles were led by another freshman in middle blocker
Jennica Mullins as she finished with 10 kills and a .368 hitting percentage. Preseason Player of the Year in the Big South Conference, senior
Becca Toor had nine kills and junior outside hitter
Carolyn Weed had eight. Sophomore setter
Stephanie Palmer finished her night with 36 assists. The Lady Eagles finished the night with 45 kills and a .159 hitting percentage.
“Our freshmen led in every category tonight,” Torbett said. “It's something bright for our future.”
The Lady Eagles started the match with four freshmen and it showed as they got off to a slow start falling to a 5-1 deficit. Winthrop then settled in and tied the set at the 6-6 mark. The Seahawks never looked back from the point and took the set 25-20.
“We definitely had some pregame jitters,” Palmer said. “But we eventually settled down as a team.”
In the second set, the teams traded points throughout the set as the biggest lead for either team was two points until Winthrop took the lead at 22-19. The Lady Eagles polished off the set, winning 25-20. At the intermission, Weed led the Eagles with seven kills, as Landsman and Brusie tallied double-digit digs with eleven and ten respectively.
The third set started just as tight as the second, only this time, the Lady Eagles took command from the 8-8 mark. Winthrop got six straight points to take a lead and the Lady Eagles never looked back and captured the set 25-18.
In the fourth set, Winthrop jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead and never relinquished that lead and cruised to win, 25-15. In the final set, Mullins posted four kills and produced a .500 hitting percentage.
“We did a really nice job executing tonight,” Palmer said. “We played well tonight as a team.”
Leading the way for UNCW was sophomore Christi Laite who finished the night with 20 kills and nine digs. Defensively, the Seahawks were led by sophomore Haley Collins with 29 digs.
“UNCW is a very versatile team,” Torbett said. “But we showed how versatile we can be.”
The Lady Eagles will be back on the court on Saturday, Aug. 26 for the second day of the Winthrop Classic by Hampton Inn. Winthrop will square off against Mercer at 12 p.m. and Davidson at 7 p.m.
