Rock Hill, S.C. – After opening Big South play with a home sweep of USC Upstate last Saturday, Winthrop Volleyball (4-7, 1-0) hits the road for their next two conference matches, taking on Presbyterian (4-11, 0-2 Big South) and Charleston Southern (3-12, 0-2 Big South).
 

Winthrop Volleyball Game Information
at Presbyterian	Friday, Oct. 11 | 6:00 p.m. | Watch | Live Stats
at Charleston Southern	Saturday, Oct. 12 | 2:00 p.m. | Watch | Live Stats
Location	Clinton S.C. | Templeton Center Charleston, S.C. | Buccaneer Fieldhouse
Shop	Find all your needs for Winthrop gear– ShopWinthropeagles | ShopWinthropGear
Social	Twitter - @WinthropVolley / @WUEagles | Instagram - winthropvolleyball | #ROCKtheHILL | #EverStand

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS PRESBYTERIAN
This is the 45^th meeting between the programs with Winthrop leading the series, 34-10. The most recent meeting was on Oct. 20, 2023 with Winthrop winning 3-0. The Eagles won both matchups from the Blue Hose last season. Winthrop won the first meeting 2-0 on Oct. 13, 1976 on the way to winning the first nine and 15 of the first 18 meetings from 1976 to 2012. Winthrop has won 11 of the last 12 meetings dating back to a 3-1 victory on Sep. 27, 2019. Presbyterian went 9-17 (7-7 Big South) in 2023.
 
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
This is the 94^th meeting between the programs with Winthrop leading the series, 74-19. The most recent meeting was on Oct. 21, 2023 with Winthrop winning 3-0. The Eagles won both matchups from the Buccaneers last season and is currently on a six-game win streak in the series dating back to a 3-0 victory on Oct. 2, 2021. Winthrop won the first meeting 2-0 in 1980 on the way to winning the first seven and 15 of the first 15 meetings from 1980 to 1985. The series went CSU's way until 1994 but Winthrop struck back in 1995 and the series has been in Winthrop's favor ever since as the Eagles have taken the series from a slim three-game margin at 17-14 to a commanding 55 game edge at 74-19. Charleston Southern went 9-19 (3-11 Big South) in 2023.
 
SEASON HONORS
Isabella Murray-VCU Invitational All-Tournament Team

• Murray passed 100 career blocks and 500 digs
• With this, Murray became the fifth setter in Winthrop history to have 2,000 assists, 100 blocks and 500 digs in her career
• Murray notched another double-double in the sweep of Lafayette with 41 assists and 15 digs while adding in a kill and setting the team to a .336 hitting percentage

Paige Bennett-VCU Invitational All-Tournament Team

• Bennett led the Eagles in kills in both matches with 4.17/set while hitting .277 on the weekend as a 6 rotation outside
• She was also the team's point scoring leader with 4.41 per set
• She added on 10 digs, an ace, 2 assists, and a block assist

Isabella Murray-Big South Setter of the Week-Sep. 2-8

• Murray posted 67 assists (11.17 per set) in addition to 23 digs (3.83 per set) as the Eagles split a pair of matches
• Murray is Winthrop's first ever Big South Setter of the Week recipient (the award was instituted by the Conference starting this season). This is also the first time this season an Eagle has taken home a weekly award

Sophia Matthews-Black and Gold Invitational All-Tournament Team

• Matthews led the Eagles in digs in all three matches, which included a career-best 16 vs. Appalachian State
• Her 16 digs in a three-set match is tied for 4^th by any player in the Big South Conference this season
• She also added five assists and two aces

Karli Shepherd-Bash In The 'Boro Invitational All-Tournament Team

• Shepherd led the Eagles in kills in all three matches last weekend with 36
• Averaged 4.00 kills per set and hitting .371 on 81 attempts
• Added 11 digs, an ace and two block assists

Isabella Murray-Big South Setter of the Week-Sep. 30-Oct. 6

• Murray helped the Eagles to a 3-0 sweep over USC Upstate last Saturday with 34 assists (11.33 per set) and seven digs
• Guided the squad to a .325 team hitting percentage in its conference opener

A LOOK AT THE EAGLES

• After having their first two conference matches postponed due to the wet conditions caused by Hurricane Helene, Winthrop opened Big South play with a sweep of USC Upstate last Saturday afternoon at home
• Winthrop's originally scheduled matches at Gardner-Webb on Saturday, Sep. 28 at 2:00 p.m. and at UNC Asheville on Friday, Oct. 4 at 6:00 p.m. were postponed due to the wet conditions caused by Hurricane Helene
• The matches will be rescheduled for dates yet to be determined
• In addition, the home match with the Spartans scheduled during Homecoming weekend on Friday, Nov. 8 at 5:00 p.m. has been switched to an away match for the Eagles against USC Upstate. The match time is yet to be determined
• Isabella Murray is now eighth in school history in assists with 2,293 following the USC Upstate match
• Three Eagles had double digit figures in digs
• Avery Jolley earned her third straight double-double with 10 kills on .258 hitting and 12 digs
• Jolley added on two blocks and accumulated 11 total points in the match and also surpassed 700 total career points
• Sophia Matthews led the Eagles in total digs in the win over Upstate with 13
• She has had double digit digs in every match she's played in in her college career thus far
• Matthews helped anchor the defense to a 19.33 digs/set performance as a team - and held USC Upstate to an .097 hitting performance
• Paige Bennett hit .667, tacking on four kills and a block solo vs. the Spartans
• In conference play, Giselle Little is currently ranked 1st in blocks per set with 1.67, and 4th in hitting percentage at .400 — the only freshman ranked in the top 10 for that category
• The Eagles have played 1,813 matches all-time as the program holds a mark of 1,077-736
• Winthrop is currently the only program in the Big South so far this season to have defeated a Power Four opponent
• Jolley leads the team in kills with 104
• Murray leads the team in assists (351) and aces (12)
• Rachel McCollum leads the team in blocks with 18
• Matthews leads the team in digs with 94
• Winthrop is third in the conference in assists per set (11.25) and digs per set (15.69) and kills per set (12.75)
• Winthrop is fourth in the conference in hitting percentage (.198)
• Jolley is third in the Big South in kills per set with 3.15
• Little is second in the conference in hitting percentage with .346
• Murray leads the conference in assists per set with 9.75
• Winthrop's 11 blocks against the Spartans is tied for 1st in the conference in blocks in a 3 set match

GET YOUR SEASON TICKETS TODAY
General Admission tickets will be sold for all volleyball games in the 2024 season. Season tickets are currently on sale for $25. Single-game tickets are $8. To get your season pass today, click HERE or by calling the ticket office at (803) 323-2345.
 
WATCH THE EAGLES ON ESPN+
All but two of the home games during the 2024 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
Winthrop returns home to Rock Hill to face Radford on Friday, Oct. 18 at 6:00 p.m. and defending Big South champion High Point on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 2:00 p.m. in a huge rivalry matchup.

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