CLINTON, S.C. – Coming off a four-set victory over Charleston Southern Friday evening, Winthrop started slow but finished strong Saturday afternoon as the Eagles defeated Presbyterian in four sets.
Winthrop (15-9, 10-4 Big South) | Presbyterian (11-13, 6-8 Big South)
Nov. 6, 2021 | P.E. Center
Winthrop 3, Presbyterian 1 (25-20, 25-8, 21-25, 25-15)
How it Happened
Set 1 | Winthrop and Presbyterian see-sawed back and forth early on in the match with each team winning three of the first six points. The Blue Hose then won consecutive points and kept the lead before eventually extending it to 15-11. The Eagles won back to back points to stay in it and then tied the set at 17 on a solo block from
Brookelynn Thomas. Presbyterian responded with three consecutive points, leading to a Winthrop timeout. Out of the break, the Eagles flexed their muscles with eight consecutive points, capped off by a
Jana Owens kill, to take the first stanza 25-20.
Set 2 | The Eagles continued to assert their dominance early in the second set as they took the first nine points, the last five of which were by kill or service ace. Although Presbyterian won the next point, Winthrop continued to press on and took a 13-1 lead on a
Morgan Bossler kill. Later, leading 15-4, the Eagles took seven consecutive points to take a 22-4 lead. The Blue Hose managed four more points, but Winthrop cruised to a 25-8 victory that was capped off by an
Alayna Jansky service ace.
Set 3 | Much like the first set, the teams battled early on but Presbyterian stretched the lead out to 8-3. Three consecutive points from Winthrop kept the match at 8-6 and the Eagles eventually tied the set at 11 on a
Nikkia Benitez kill. Winthrop went on to take a 15-14 lead on another Thomas kill, but four quick points from the Blue Hose took the momentum back. The Eagles stayed close throughout, although it wasn't enough as Presbyterian took the period 25-21 to force a fourth set.
Set 4 | Winthrop won three of the first four points to take an early lead, but the Blue Hose tied the set at four on a service ace. However, the Eagles took firm control of the set and match with an 8-2 run, capped off by a block from
Karli Shepherd and
Lily Leistiko. Presbyterian scratched and clawed, but Winthrop went on to take a 16-9 lead on another Shepherd kill. The Blue Hose did their best to stay within striking distance, but never got closer than six points for the rest of the match. A Thomas kill ended the festivities and gave the Eagles a four set victory.
Statistical Standouts
Up Next
Winthrop will take on Gardner-Webb and Radford in their final two matches of the regular season this coming week.
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