ROCK HILL, S.C. - In a back-and-forth match at the Winthrop Coliseum Tuesday evening, the visiting North Carolina A&T Aggies took the contest with second, third, and fifth set wins.
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Winthrop (11-8, 6-3 Big South) | North Carolina A&T (14-7, 6-3 Big South)
Oct. 19, 2021 | Winthrop Coliseum
North Carolina A&T 3, Winthrop 2 (21-25, 25-13, 25-14, 20-25, 15-10)
How it Happened
Set 1 | The Aggies stormed out of the gate by taking a 3-0 lead, but Winthrop won three points in a row, settling into a very competitive opening set. With the score tied at seven, the Eagles won three consecutive points, capped off by a
Nikkia Benitez kill. North Carolina A&T stayed close the rest of the way, getting within one point, but Winthrop took care of business and ended the set with a
Morgan Bossler service ace.
Set 2 | The second set saw the Eagles win the first two points, but the Aggies went on a 4-0 run spurred on by a service ace. Winthrop stayed close in the early going, but another 4-0 run by North Carolina A&T gave the visitors an insurmountable 10-4 lead. The Aggies quickly extended the lead to double digits at 16-6 and cruised to a 25-13 triumph.
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Set 3 | Similarly to the first set, North Carolina A&T won the first three points of the period. An
Olivia Blackketter kill and a
Madison Gorniak service ace got the Eagles within one points, but the visitors took a 7-2 lead. Winthrop fought hard, but the Aggies were up 14-6 and extended the lead to 19-9 a short while later. The Eagles made it a little interesting late, but North Carolina A&T won the set 25-14.
Set 4 | The Aggies won the first five points of the fourth stanza to assert their dominance, but Winthrop chipped away at the lead, showing their mettle in the process. Trailing 7-4, the Eagles won six consecutive points, igniting the crowd and shoving their way right back into the match. The visitors hardly wavered, tying the set at 14 and 18. Kills from Bossler and Benitez contributed to a set-ending 3-0 run that led to the deciding fifth set.
Set 5 | Once again, North Carolina A&T stormed out to an early 3-0 lead. Winthrop battled back and took a small lead at 5-4, but at 6-5, the Aggies won six consecutive points to seize control. Trailing 14-7, the Eagles won three points to stay in it, but North Carolina A&T was able to get one more kill for the road victory.
Statistical Standouts
Up Next
Winthrop continues its conference slate on the road against High Point on Friday, Oct. 22. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
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