ROCK HILL, S.C. – Morgan Bossler recorded a career-high 21 kills to help Winthrop rally for a 3-2 win over Presbyterian College, Friday evening in Big South Conference volleyball action.
Winthrop (8-5, 3-0 Big South) | Presbyterian College (6-7, 1-2 Big South)
Oct. 1, 2021 | Winthrop Coliseum
Winthrop 3, Presbyterian College 2 (21-25, 25-12, 28-30, 25-16, 15-9)
How it Happened
Set 1 | The set was tight early but a kill by
Morgan Bossler and service ace by
Karli Shepherd highlighted a 3-0 run for a 6-3 lead. Winthrop led 8-5 when PC worked its way back and grab a lead at 11-10. The set went back-and-forth with the teams trading points and neither grabbing more than a two point advantage.
Lily Leistiko's kill tied the match at 18-18 when PC went on a 3-0 run some separation and went on to win the set 25-21. PC hit .371 while the Eagles hit .250 and were led by Bossler's seven kills in the set.
Set 2 | Eagles trailed in the early going but with the set tied 3-3 when they went on a 3-0 run to open up the three-point advantage. While PC tried to work its way back the Eagles continued open up a bigger leader as the 3-0 run turned into a 6-1 run. With the Eagles leading 10-6, Shepherd put the team up by five with a kill and ignited a 7-0 run to open up an 11-point lead. The Eagles went on to win the set 25-12 behind an attacking percentage of .379 and holding PC to -.118.
Set 3 | The Blue Hose raced out to an 8-0 advantage as the Eagles struggled attacking the early going with five errors in the run. Eagles slowly chipped away at the big deficit and eventually pulled within three points at 17-13 when
Nikkia Benitez pounded back-to-back kills that cut it to two. PC answered by building a 21-15 lead, but the Eagles weren't done. Trailing 23-17, the Eagles went on a 7-1 run to tie the set at 24-24 after a Blue Hose service error. Each team had multiple one-point advantages down the stretch but PC held off the Winthrop rally and won 30-28. Benitez led the Eagles with six kills in the set.
Set 4 | With the set tied 3-3 in the early going, Winthrop worked its way to a couple of two point leads but the set was tied again at 8-8. It remained close and was tied 12-12 when Benitez smashed another for a kill that sparked a 3-0 run. Leading 15-13, Winthrop opened up the lead as a
Jana Owens kill started a 4-0 run. Winthrop led 21-15 and ended the set on a 4-1 run to close it out and force a fifth set. The Eagles had their best hitting percentage of any set in the fourth at .400 and Olivia Blacketter led the team in the set with five kills.
Set 5 | The Eagles carried their momentum to the start of the fifth set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and even pushed it to 7-1 after another Shepherd kill. PC pulled within three points at 10-7 but that was as close as it would get as the Eagles finished off the set 15-9 as
Colleen Siebold clinched the match with her 8
th kill of the match with a tip over the block.
Statistical Standouts
Notes
- Bossler's hitting percentage of .571 is a new program record for a five-set match, breaking the old mark of .536 set by Kelly Taylor in 2009 vs. the College of Charleston
- Bossler also had a season-high seven blocks
- Shepherd tied her career-high in kills with 14 and blocks (2) but set a career-high with three aces
- Siebold, who has only played in two matches on the year came off the bench for eight kills (.400 hitting percentage) and two blocks
- Owens had a career-high 60 assists as her previous high was 49 in the four set win over William & Mary earlier this year
- Owens also posted a double-double as she added 15 digs
- This was the first five set match for the Eagles this season
Up Next
Winthrop is back in action on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. when it hosts Charleston Southern.
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