Box Score Box Score

KENNESAW, GA – The Winthrop volleyball team dropped its first match of the season as the Eagles fell to the Kennesaw State Owls in five sets (25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10) on the opening day of the Owls Invitational at the KSU Convocation Center.

The Eagles fall to 3-1 on the young season, as Kennesaw State improves to 2-3.

Senior middle hitter Becca Toor proved again why she was named Big South Preseason Player of the Year as she finished the night with 20 kills and a .559 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter Carolyn Weed ended the night with 11 kills, followed by freshman middle blocker Jennica Mullins with 10. Sophomore setter Stephanie Palmer ended the night with her second double-double of the season with 11 digs and 51 assists. Defensively, freshman outside hitter Lauren Landsman paced Winthrop with 20 digs. Behind Landsman was freshman libero Catherine Brusie with 13. Winthrop finished the match with 64 kills, 80 digs and a .280 hitting percentage.

“Becca Toor was spectacular,” head coach Julie Torbett said. “If we could have gotten her the ball more, we would have won the match.”

Winthrop got off to a rough start falling behind early to the Owls offense, forcing the Eagles to regroup. After falling behind in the set at the 21-16 mark, Winthrop rallied and tied the set at 21-21. Winthrop tried to keep up the momentum, but dropped the first set 25-23. Redshirt junior right side Brittany Blackman finished the set with four of Winthrop's nine kills.

In the second set, the Eagles got off to a better start as the biggest lead for either team was just three points. The teams traded points throughout the rest of the set and fought to a 23-23 deadlock. Back-to-back kills by Kennesaw State wrapped up the set for the Owls, 25-23. At this point, KSU tallied 35 kills and a .276 hitting percentage. Weed led Winthrop in the set with five kills.

The third set was just as tight as the second, as Kennesaw State was first to take a convincing lead at the 23-19 mark. The Eagles stormed back into the set to tie at 23-23. A kill by Weed and a band handling error by the Owls gave Winthrop the set, 25-23. Toor paced the Eagles with 7 kills in the set. As a team, Winthrop finished the set with a .310 attacking percentage.

Once again, the team traded points early in the fourth, but it was Winthrop to make a run at the 14-13 mark. The Eagles went on a 6-0 run to cruise to a 25-19 set win. Toor polished off the fourth set with six kills as Landsman had four digs.

In the final set, Winthrop fought its way back in the set, forcing a 7-7 tie. From that mark, the Eagles could not find the seams in the KSU defense as the Owls took the set, 15-10. Winthrop finished the final set with just a .034 hitting percentage.

“We played like it was our first road game,” Torbett said. “We gave KSU 13 points on serve and 12 points on receiving errors. We get another opportunity tomorrow.”

Kennesaw State was led by Justine Long with 17 kills and Camille Pedraza with 26 digs, as KSU also finished the night with 64 kills. The Owls also ended the night with 81 digs and a .243 hitting percentage.

The Eagles will be back on the court on Saturday, Sept. 3 as they close out the Owls Invitational. Winthrop will square off against Oral Roberts at 12 p.m. and face Chattanooga at 5 p.m.