ROCK HILL, SC – A rollercoaster of a conference season for the Winthrop volleyball team culminates with two home matches this weekend as the Eagles hold their tournament fate in their own hands.
Winthrop started its Big South slate with a 0-9 record but a victory over Charleston Southern on October 25 started a string of five straight victories for the Eagles.
The five-match winning streak has moved the Eagles from the bottom of the conference standings to sixth place and has put them in the position where two victories over their last two matches guarantees them a conference tournament spot. Only the top six teams in the conference will qualify for the tournament.
Winthrop hosts Presbyterian Thursday evening at 7 p.m. and UNC Asheville Saturday at 1 p.m. Wins in both matches solidifies the Eagles' position in the tournament. Winthrop can still qualify for the tournament even with a loss on Thursday and a win on Saturday but it will involve several tiebreaker scenarios. A win Saturday over the Bulldogs is a must for any tiebreaker to be considered.
Saturday's contest will also be Senior Day for the Eagles as seniors Brianna Gray and Emma Weakland will be recognized prior to the match.
For the two matches this weekend, the volleyball program will be hosting a Thanksgiving food drive. Any fan who brings a food donation on Thursday will receive free admission to the match. Food donations will also be accepted on Saturday but free admission will not be offered.
The Eagles dropped their first contest of the season to the Blue Hose on October 15. Winthrop went down 2-0 and rallied to force a fifth set but fell. Emma Weakland and Sammie-Jo Ah-Hong led the Eagles offensively with 16 and 13 kills respectively.
A day earlier, October 14, Winthrop fell in four sets on the road to UNC Asheville. Weakland also led the Eagles offensively with 10 kills but no other attacker reached double digits.
Should the Eagles qualify for the tournament they would play their opening round match on November 18 in Lynchburg, VA on the campus of Liberty University who will host the entirety of the tournament.
