Gainesville, Fla. – After winning the first set, Winthrop then lost the next three sets to Clemson to start the Gator Invitational, dropping the match with the Tigers by a final score of 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 18-25, 20-25).
Winthrop (0-7, 0-0 Big South) | Clemson (5-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast)
Sep. 7, 2023 | Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center
Winthrop 1, Clemson 3 (25-19, 21-25, 18-25, 20-25)
How it Happened
Set 1 | The two teams split the first 12 points to begin the afternoon, with Winthrop's points coming on kills by
Karli Shepherd,
Brookelynn Thomas and four mistakes by the Tigers. Two kills each by
Rachel McCollum and Shepherd broke the early deadlock and put Winthrop up 10-8. The Eagles then extended the lead to 13-9 a few plays later thanks to two more Clemson miscues and a kill by
Avery Jolley, forcing a timeout by the Tigers. After play resumed, kills by Thomas, McCollum and two kills by Jolley on the next couple of plays took the lead back to four at 17-13 and then two more kills by Shepherd gave Winthrop a five-point margin a couple of plays later at 19-14, their largest of the set up to that point. The Eagles would eventually go up by six at 22-16. The Tigers cut it to three by scoring the next three points but another error and two straight kills by Jolley clinched the first set for the Eagles.
Set 2 | Clemson started the second set with a quick 5-0 lead, forcing Winthrop to stop things early. After the timeout, Shepherd got the Eagles on the board with a kill and Thomas's kill on the next play cut it to three. Trailing 7-3, five Tiger errors, a kill each by Jolley and Thomas and two kills by McCollum and Shepherd tied it at 15. Then four of the next seven points were scored by the Eagles and gave them a 19-18 lead thanks to kills by Jolley,
Alicia Roberts and two more kills by McCollum. But a 7-2 run by the Tigers closed out the second set and tied the match at one.
Set 3 | The Eagles and the Tigers began the third set by splitting the first 12 points with the Eagles points coming on an error by Clemson, three kills by Shepherd, an ace by
Madison Gorniak and a kill by Jolley. Clemson scored five of the next seven points to take an 11-8 lead, forcing a Winthrop timeout. The Eagles then responded by cutting it to one on the next two plays only to see Clemson to take it back up to three at 14-11. Trailing by the same score, a Tiger error, an ace by Shepherd and a kill each by Thomas and Jolley gave Winthrop a 15-14 lead. Two quick points by Clemson put the Tigers back in the lead but Jolley tied it on the next play on a kill. Clemson then used a 6-1 run to go up 22-17, going on to take the set a few plays and giving them a 2-1 lead in the match.
Set 4 | Winthrop started the fourth set up 9-4 on four Clemson errors, three kills by Shepherd and a kill each by Thomas and Gorniak. Clemson responded with a 7-0 run to take an 11-9 lead. Down 12-10, a Jolley kill and an error against the Tigers tied it at 12 only for Clemson to go up three at 15-12. The Tigers would then go up 18-14 but Winthrop got back to within a point at 20-19 via two kills by Thomas and a Tiger error. But that's as close as the Eagles would get as the Tigers ended the match by scoring five of the final six points, taking the contest 3-1.
Statistical Leaders
Notables
- The Eagles have played 1,781 matches all-time as the program holds a mark of 1,058-723.
- The two teams were tied in aces, 11-11.
- Winthrop had the edge in digs, 55-44.
- Three Eagles were in double figures in kills.
- Shepherd led the Eagles in kills with 15.
- Gorniak and Shepherd each had an ace while Roberts and Thomas each had four blocks to lead the Eagles.
- Murray led the Eagles in assists and digs with 46 and 14, respectively.
UP NEXT
The Eagles face Sacramento State tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m.
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