Asheville, NC – The Eagles finished their weekend 2-0 after beating UNC Asheville 3-1 (27-25, 25-21, 14-25, 25-19) on Saturday afternoon. This win moved the Eagles to 5-2 in conference and dropped UNCA to 1-4. This is the first time the Eagles have beaten the Bulldogs since the 2015 season.

How It Happened
The first set opened with a big kill from Makayla Doyle and the two teams exchanged points until UNCA went on a 5-0 run to take a 9-5 lead. A kill from Lou Rosario and a setter dump from Siani Yamaguchi tied the set again at 11-11. Tough serving from Phoebe Wu and back to back kills from Rosario gave the Eagles their first set lead, 15-13. UNCA would once again tie the set at 17 all but that would be the last time. Wu had two kills from the back row and Rosario added another kill to put the score 23-20. Yamaguchi ended the set with a kill and then a service ace.

In the second set the Eagles started down 3-0 until a kill from Rosario put them on the board. UNCA went on another scoring run and eventually pushed their lead to 17-12. The Eagles would respond with an 8-0 scoring run of their own to take the lead 20-17. The set was tied at 17-17 when UNCA called a timeout; Wu responded with two service aces in a row to cap off the 8-0 run. In the final points Rosario had two kills and a demanding block that ended the set.

The Bulldogs got off on another scoring run in the third set and the Eagles could not minimize the errors on their side. They attempted a scoring run late in the set but could not overcome the early deficit.

The Eagles bounced back in the fourth set to take an early 5-2 lead forcing UNCA to call a timeout. They never trailed in this set and led by as many as seven points. It was tough to get a ball past Carlie Skelton in the backrow. She picked up 30 match digs for 7.5 digs per set and passed a 2.2. Rosario had a match high 16 kills and Doyle had 14 kills a .314 efficiency, and Wu had a double-double of 11 kills, 12 digs and three aces. Yamaguchi finished with 41 assists, 12 digs, and three aces as well.

Coach's Corner
"Always nice to win on the road, especially in the gym that will host the Big South Conference Tournament this fall," said head coach Chuck Rey. "It's never easy to win on the road and it was our serve and pass game that was excellent. Hannah, Carlie, Phoebe and Lou are starting to gel as a passing unit and it's fun to see them grow. And it's great that our bench is so deep when Annie Sandlin steps up to finish the match at USC Upstate. Jace played that roll today at Asheville and Hanna Spevak plays the toughest role so well, by coming off the bench to score some aces and get some key digs. It's a team effort and we are proud of the team."

"Our unsung hero again is Winthrop Hall of Famer and FCA leader, Angie Lanier. She breaks the ice for the team with her "Let's go Eagles" at the beginning of the matches on the road. She did it at Gardner Webb and again this past weekend at USC Upstate. We are so lucky to have someone that cares about each young lady on this squad and how she mentors these young ladies into leaders. It's those little things that we embrace and appreciate!"

"Finally, I have to again commend this incredible volleyball staff. A head coach couldn't have gotten luckier with this crew. Sherisa is a humble leader and role model for these young ladies that holds the team accountable and builds trust. A difficult art she handles with grace. Becca spends countless hours scouting opponents and is the reason our defense is dominant. She also has a great positive attitude. Then we have those that volunteer their time for our benefit. Caylee King, our Volunteer Assistant Coach, is getting her masters in mental health counseling and any spare time she has is with the team (we appreciate her understanding husband). And Emily Erickson is another that volunteers her time as our Director of Operations in addition to being Winthrop Athletics Marketing Assistant and volleyball's SID. Oh yeah, and she is getting her masters in Sports and Fitness Administration. Their tireless and selfless efforts to better the lives of the young ladies is incredible. They are the underlying reason for our success."
 
Up Next
The Eagles will be on the road for their third consecutive match when they travel to Buies Creek, NC for a week day match up against Campbell on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.