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CONWAY, SC – Alina Sopizhuk and Nikki Drost each tallied double-digit kills Friday and the Eagles totaled 14 blocks as the Winthrop volleyball team downed Coastal Carolina 3-1 in the conference opener for both teams.

The victory improved Winthrop's record to 10-6 overall and 1-0 in the Big South and extended the team's win streak to six matches, it's longest since 2011 when the Eagles won seven straight.  Coastal Carolina fell to 10-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Sopizhuk recorded her third double-double of the season with 14 kills and 13 digs while Drost finished just shy of a double-double with 10 kills and nine digs.  Sophomore Maria Volstad led all players with 20 digs while senior Jessie Vicic finished with 31 assists.  Sophomore Brianna Gray set a career-high at the net with eight total blocks with one solo and seven block assists.

The two sides went back and forth in the opening set and were tied at 8-8 before the Eagles went on a 5-0 run, opening a 13-8 advantage.  Winthrop was able to increase its lead to as much as eight at 21-13, but Coastal made a late charge.  The Chanticleers went on a 5-0 run to cut the lead down to 21-18 but couldn't get any closer as the Eagles took the first set 25-20.

The second set start just as close as the first with the two teams deadlocked through the first 20 points but then mistakes started to plague the Eagles.  Coastal Carolina got six straight points off Winthrop miscues which started a 9-0 run for the Chanticleers.  Following the 10-10 tie, the Eagles managed only three more points as Coastal took the second set 25-13.

Coastal Carolina looked to be in control late in the third set, leading 23-18 after a 6-1 run.  Winthrop pulled two points back before Coastal reached set point at 24-20.  A service error by the Chanticleers gave the ball back to the Eagles as Winthrop's defense stepped up. 

Two of the next three points came on solo blocks from freshman Nikki Drost with the third coming as Drost partnered with junior Rachel Lenz for the block to tie the set at 24-24.  Lenz gave Winthrop a 25-24 lead with a kill on the next point and after a Chanticleer timeout, Lenz put the set away with a solo block.

The fourth set was another back-and-forth battle with neither team able to gain more than a two-point cushion through the first 36 points as the sides were tied 18-18.  Winthrop picked up the next two points, forcing Coastal to take a timeout. 

Following the break, back-to-back mistakes by the Chanticleers gave Winthrop a 22-18 lead and had the home team call another timeout.  After Winthrop went up 23-18, Coastal went on a 5-1 run to get within 24-23 but couldn't complete the comeback as a ball-handling error gave Winthrop the match point.

The Eagles finished with a .185 hitting percentage on 45 kills with 43 assists.  Defensively the Eagles totaled 63 digs and 14 total team blocks with four solos and 20 block assists.

Winthrop will remain on the road Saturday as the Eagles head to Charleston Southern for a 2 p.m. contest against the Buccaneers.