Charlotte, N.C. – It was a battle in Halton Arena on the UNC Charlotte campus as the Eagles fell to the 49ers in five sets (25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 10-15). This loss was the first for the Eagles since week 2 and drops them to 12-4 on the season; the win moves the 49ers to 11-8.
How it Happened
The Eagles jumped out on the 49ers, scoring five straight points for a 5-1 lead. After extending their lead to 17-11, the 49ers took a timeout to regroup and rattled off three straight points. They would get within two, 20-18, but that was as close as they would come for the set.
Emily Wunder and
Morgan Bossler flexed their offensive power early, finishing the set with 5 kills each.
Charlotte used the set break to regroup and they were the ones to take a 17-11 lead in the second set. The Eagles chipped away at the deficit to pull within two, 20-18, forcing 49ers to call their first set timeout. Charlotte outscored the Eagles 5-2 in the final stretch, notching the set 1-1.
Winthrop struggled offensively in the third set, hitting a .095 compared to Charlotte's .214. and also committed three service errors.
Three service aces in a row from
Savannah Roper gave the Eagles the spark they needed in the fourth set.
Lily Leistiko came off the bench and provided the final kill to force the deciding fifth set.
The Eagles struggled with errors and inconsistencies in the final set and found themselves in an early hole. They forged a late comeback but the deficit was too much.
Inside the Box Score
Senior libero,
Hannah Lackey, recorded a career high 28 digs for the Eagle's defense. Big South Player of the Week,
Siani Yamaguchi, finished with 43 assists and 21 digs.
Morgan Bossler finished with a team high 15 kills and
Emily Wunder was second with 13.
The 49ers saw heavy output from both outside hitters; Nalani Lyde finished with a match high 22 kills and Sydney Rowan was behind her with 20. Yumi Garcia led all players with 32 digs.
Up Next
This Friday the Eagles head to Boiling Springs, N.C. for a 6:00 p.m. match against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (2-13, 0-4).
