Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop Volleyball (1-10, 0-0 Big South) begins Big South competition this week as the Eagles hit the road to play the Gardner-Webb University Runnin Bulldogs.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS GARDNER-WEBB
This will be the 45
th meeting between the programs, with Winthrop leading the series 38-6 and have won the last 11 matches vs. Gardner-Webb. Winthrop's last loss to GW was 3-0 on Sep. 30, 2017. The first meeting was in 1980 with the Eagles winning 2-0. Winthrop won both matches from the Runnin Bulldogs last season with two 3-0 sweeps. Gardner-Webb went 9-19 (7-99 Big South Conference) in 2022.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Eagles hosted their first home matches of 2023.
- The Eagles fell 3-0 to EKU on Friday but picked up their first win on the season vs. South Carolina in four sets the next night, snapping a 12-game losing streak dating back to last season and securing their first win over the Gamecocks since Sep. 7, 2013, a 3-2 win at Clemson.
- This is Winthrop's first win over South Carolina in Rock Hill since Sep. 4, 2010, a 3-1 final score.
- Winthrop is the only Big South institution to record a win over a Power 5 team this season.
- This is Winthrop's first win over a Power 5 team since a 3-0 win at Virginia on Sep. 4, 2021.
- Winthrop volleyball snagged two conference weekly awards as Karli Shepherd was tabbed the Big South Conference Co-Player of the Week (along with Indigo Young of Charleston Southern) while Reece Rhoads picked up Freshman of the Week honors for matches played Sept. 11-17, announced by the league office Monday afternoon.
- Shepherd led the Eagles to a 3-1 victory over South Carolina on Saturday with a 16-kill, 16-dig double-double performance, in which she also tallied two blocks and 19 total points. She added eight kills against Eastern Kentucky on Friday to earn a spot on the Winthrop Invitational All-Tournament Team.
- Starting for the first time in her career, Rhoads tied for the team lead with 16 kills in Winthrop's 3-1 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. She also posted three blocks and finished with 18 points in the helping the Eagles to their first win of the season.
- This is the first time in her Winthrop career that Shepherd has earned Big South Player of the Week honors and it is also the first time for Rhoads being named Freshman of the Week.
- Shepherd is Winthrop's 66th all-time Big South Player of the Week recipient, with the most recent winner being Brookelynn Thomas taking the award on Oct. 24, 2022. Rhoads is Winthrop's 31st all-time Big South Freshman of the Week recipient, with the most recent winner being Avery Jolley on Sep. 26, 2022.
BIG SOUTH WEEKLY HONORS
- Karli Shepherd-Winthrop Invitational All-Tournament Team (Sep. 17) and Big South Co-Player of the Week (Sep. 18)
- Hit .227 on the weekend
- Registering a double-double in kills (16) and digs (16) (both career-highs) vs. South Carolina
- Finished with 19 total points, a pair of aces and two block assists against the Gamecocks
- Reece Rhoads-Big South Freshman of the Week (Sep. 18)
- First career start vs. South Carolina
- Tied for the team lead in kills (16) in the match with the Gamecocks
- Finished the match with South Carolina with three blocks and 18 total points
GET YOUR SEASON TICKETS TODAY
General Admission tickets will be sold for all volleyball games in the 2023 season. Season tickets are currently on sale for $20. Single-game tickets are $5. Get your season pass today by visiting
www.winthropeagles.com/volleyballtickets or call the ticket office at (803) 323-2345.
WATCH THE EAGLES ON ESPN+
All but one of the home games during the 2023 season will air live on ESPN+. You can also catch select road games in Big South Conference play on ESPN+. To watch Big South games on ESPN+ you must have a subscription to ESPN+. For more information on how to subscribe,
click here.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Eagles continue conference play next week with home matches against pre-season favorite High Point on Friday at 6 p.m. on ESPN+ and Radford the next day at 2 p.m.
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