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AUBURN, AL – Rachel Lenz tallied 32 kills over two matches Saturday as the Winthrop volleyball team downed Troy 3-1 after dropping a five-set heartbreaker to the Auburn Tigers on the second day of the Active Ankle Challenge.

Winthrop moved its record to 5-6 on the season and will next host Davidson on Tuesday at the Winthrop Coliseum at 8 p.m.

In the second game of the day for the Eagles, the Troy Trojans took the opening set 25-19, using an 8-1 run to turn a three-point deficit into a four-point advantage and never trailing again.

Winthrop led the second set early by as much as five at 13-8 before Troy used a 6-1 run to tie the set at 14-14.  The two sides went back and forth and were still tied at 18-18, but Winthrop was able to close the set on a strong 7-1 run, taking the second set 25-19.

In the third set the two teams were all square through the first 20 points.  Troy then used an 8-3 run to open a five-point edge at 18-13.  The Eagles responded with a 6-0 run to take a 19-18 advantage.  After trading a few points, Troy was able to pull away slightly at 23-21, but then didn't score another point as the Eagles won the set with a 4-0 run.

Winthrop left little doubt in the fourth set, getting out to a 3-0 lead and then never relinquishing that edge.  Troy was able to get only as close as two at 13-11, but no closer as the Eagles took the fourth set 25-19.

Rachel Lenz led all hitters with 17 kills while teammates Alina Sopizhuk and Emma Weakland each tallied 15 kills.  Jessie Vicic recorded her second double-double of the day with 47 assists and 11 digs while Maria Volstad led the team with 21 digs.

Winthrop and Auburn opened the first set with a back-and-forth battle.  Both teams traded multi-point leads throughout the set and the Eagles were able to come away with set point at 24-22.  Winthrop was unable, however, to put the set away as three of the next four points went the Tigers' way from Eagle errors as Auburn took the first set 26-24.

The Eagles responded with a strong opening to the second set, getting out to a 9-4 advantage.  Auburn battled back to take a 17-15 edge.  The Eagles returned with a 6-2 run to grab a 21-19 lead.  Winthrop fought off a late Tiger rally to take the second set 25-23.

In the third set, Auburn took the early lead 9-6 only to see Winthrop battle back to take a 13-11 lead.  The two teams went back and forth before Winthrop used a big 7-0 run to turn a tied score into a 24-17 Eagle lead.  Auburn was able to pull back four points before Winthrop closed out the set 25-21.

Auburn left little doubt that the match would go five sets as the Tigers got out to a quick 7-2 lead and allowed Winthrop to get within only as little as four points en route to a 25-17 fourth-set victory.

The fifth set was an exciting battle well past the typical 15-point threshold.  Auburn continued its momentum from the fourth set, getting out to an early 4-1 lead.  Winthrop battled back and was able to tie the set at 10-10. 

The two teams then traded the next eight points and the Eagles had the first crack at set point at 15-14 but couldn't close it out.  As the set progressed, both teams had three opportunities to finish the set, but neither could do so until Auburn won the set at 22-20.

Rachel Lenz led the Eagles with 15 kills while Emma Weakland tallied 13 and Brianna Gray finished with 10.  Jessie Vicic notched a double-double with 44 assists and 13 digs.  Lenz also led the Eagles with eight block assists while Weakland contributed seven.