Box Score Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC – Big South Conference Preseason Player of the Year Becca Toor tallied a new career high with 26 kills as the Winthrop volleyball team opened up conference play with a victory. The Eagles brought down the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in four sets (25-19, 23-25, 25-13, 25-16) on Friday night at the Winthrop Coliseum.

Toor finished the night with 26 kills and a .476 hitting percentage to pace the Eagles offensively. Following Toor was Big South Player of the Week, sophomore setter Stephanie Palmer with 13 kills and a .444 hitting percentage. Freshman libero Catherine Brusie polished off the night with 22 digs as she was followed by junior defensive specialist Kristin Cruse, sophomore defensive specialist Carly DeBruhl and freshman outside hitter Lauren Landsman who all finished with 13 tonight. Palmer added 48 assists tonight as she was just two digs short of a third triple-double.

“It went really well for us tonight,” Toor said on the win.

The teams traded points in the opening set till the 12-12 mark. Winthrop started a run from that point and controlled the rest of the set, winning 25-19. Toor paced the Eagles in the set five kills, as Winthrop tallied 18 kills for the set. Defensively, DeBruhl led the Eagles in the set with five digs.

The Eagles jumped out quickly in the second, taking a commanding 15-9 midway through the set. The Bucs stormed back within the set, tying at the 18-18 mark. Charleston Southern remained in control as the Bucs took the set 25-23. Four of the last five points for CSU came from middle blocker Sydney Tracy as she paced CSU with six kills in the set.

After the intermission, the Eagles dominated at the net as they killed 17 en route to a 25-13 set victory. Toor paced the way in the set, finishing with 11 kills. The Eagles tallied 15 digs in the set.

“We did a great job placing the ball tonight,” head coach Julie Torbett said. “We just lost our focus in the second set.”

Winthrop continued to cruise in the final set, as the middle continued to open up for Toor. She added four kills her total as the Eagles took the set and the match, 25-16.

CSU finished the match with 37 kills, 64 digs and a .141 hitting percentage. The Bucs were paced by Tracy with 11 kills and Ashley Higginbothem with 22 digs.

The win puts the Eagles at 8-5 on the season and 1-0 in the conference, as Charleston Southern falls to 3-12 on the year and 0-1 in the Big South. Winthrop now shifts its focus to Saturday against Coastal Carolina.

“Coastal is a very experienced team,” Torbett said. “They are a strong, well-coach squad.”

Winthrop will be back on the court on Saturday, Sept. 24 as the Eagles will take on conference foe, Coastal Carolina at the Winthrop Coliseum. That match is set 2 p.m.