Charleston, S.C. – Down to their last play at Charleston Southern for the second straight year, the Eagles scored the final three points and captured a miraculous 3-2 victory over the Buccaneers (25-20, 25-18, 21-25, 18-25, 16-14).
Winthrop (4-11, 3-1 Big South) | Charleston Southern (7-11, 1-3 Big South)
Oct. 6, 2023 | Buccaneer Fieldhouse
Winthrop 3, Charleston Southern 2 (25-20, 25-18, 21-25, 18-25, 16-14)
How it Happened
Set 1 | The Eagles started the match with an early 9-6 lead, with
Avery Jolley registering two kills to lead the initial Winthrop offensive attack. After Charleston Southern got a kill on the next play to cut the Eagle lead to two, Winthrop exploded with a 9-1 run to seize an 18-8 advantage, including six straight.
Riley Oglevie had two kills for Winthrop offensively during the scoring binge. The Buccaneers then battled back with a big run of their own, going on a 12-5 to make it a three-point game at 23-20. However, a kill by
Teagan Sychterz and an ace by
Alyah Cadavid extinguished the CSU rally and gave Winthrop a 1-0 lead in the match.
Set 2 | Winthrop began the second set exactly like the first, taking an identical 9-6 lead. Jolley and
Brookelynn Thomas each had two kills to start the second frame. CSU tied the match at 11 by scoring five of the next seven points only to see the Eagles again go on another big run to seize control of the second set with a 12-4 rally and taking an eight-point lead at 23-15. Thomas and Jolley combined for six kills during the rally. After CSU scored three straight point to cut the lead to five,
Karli Shepherd's kill and
Madison Gorniak's kill put Winthrop up 2-0 in the match.
Set 3 | Winthrop took a 10-7 lead to start the third set with Thomas leading the way with two kills. However, from that point forward, it was all Buccaneers in the set, finishing the set with an 18-11 run to cut Winthrop's lead in the match to 2-1. Their rally started with three straight points to tie it at 10-10. Shepherd's kill on the next play gave Winthrop the lead in the set for the last time and after CSU scored three straight points to take a 13-11 edge, the Eagles scored six of the next 10 points to tie it at 17, with Sychterz's kill leading to the tie. A kill by CSU on the next play gave them the lead for good in the frame, however. CSU would then get within one point of taking the set a couple plays later at 24-19. After two more Winthrop points, CSU captured the third set on the next play with a kill.
Set 4 | The two teams split the first 12 points, with Sychterz and Thomas combining for four kills. CSU scored five of the next six points to take an 11-7 lead. The home standing Bucs maintained a margin ranging from two to six points on the next several plays. Then with CSU up 18-14, the Bucs tied the match with a closing 7-4 run, forcing the deciding fifth set.
Set 5 | Winthrop began the fifth set with an early 5-2 lead only to have CSU use a 10-4 run, giving them a 12-9 lead. However, the Eagles refused to go away as four straight points put them back in the lead at 13-12. Two straight points by the Bucs gave them a 14-13 lead and put them within one point of winning the match. Down to their last play, kills by Thomas and Jolley and a CSU error saved the Eagles from defeat, giving Winthrop a thrilling, come-from-behind 3-2 victory.
Statistical Leaders
Notables
- The Eagles have played 1,789 matches all-time as the program holds a mark of 1,062-727.
- Three Eagles had double-digit figures in kills and digs.
- Thomas led the Eagles in kills (15), aces (2) and blocks (5).
- Isabella Murray led the Eagles in assists (45).
- Gorniak led the Eagles in digs (22).
UP NEXT
The Eagles play at Presbyterian tomorrow night at 6 p.m.
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