Rock Hill, S.C. – After having their first two conference matches postponed due to the wet conditions caused by Hurricane Helene, Winthrop Volleyball (3-7) begins Big South play Saturday afternoon as the Eagles host the Spartans of USC Upstate (5-8).
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS USC UPSTATE
This is the 44
th meeting between the programs with Winthrop leading the series, 38-5. The most recent meeting was on Nov. 4, 2023 with Winthrop winning 3-1 in Spartanburg, S.C. The Eagles won both matchups from the Spartans last season and is currently on a five-game win streak in the series. Winthrop won the first meeting 2-0 in 1975 on the way to winning the first 19 meetings from 1975 to 1983. The Eagles led the series 27-4 upon the Spartan's entry into the Big South in 2018 and Winthrop has continued their dominance of Upstate since then, going 11-1 against the Spartans. USC Upstate went 12-14 (5-9 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 4th 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
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES
- Winthrop last competed two weeks ago at the Bash In The 'Boro Invitational in Statesboro, Ga. on Friday, Sep. 20 and Saturday, Sep. 21
- The Eagles split a pair of matches vs. Western Carolina and Alabama State on the first day of the tournament, falling in three sets to the Catamounts but coming back in the afternoon to sweep the Hornets
- Winthrop then fell 3-0 to host Georgia Southern the next day
- The victory over Alabama State snapped a five-game losing skid
- Winthrop's first two conference matches originally scheduled 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
- The away match scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5 at USC Upstate has been switched to a home match for the Eagles against the Spartans. The game will be on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. inside the Winthrop Coliseum
- 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
- Murray is now eighth in school history in assists with 2,259 following the Georgia Southern match
- She passes Jesse Vicic's 2,200 assists compiled from the 2013 and '14 seasons
- Sydney Nolan made her season debut vs. Western Carolina, tacking on six kills on seven total attempts to go along with a block solo and a dig
- Nolan hit .857 in the match vs. the Catamounts
- Avery Jolley notched a double double vs. Alabama State
- Murray hit .800 in the match vs. the Hornets
- Jolley and Murray each recorded a double double against Georgia Southern
- Murray hit .444 in the match
- Three Eagles recorded double figure digs vs. Georgia Southern
- The Eagles have played 1,812 matches all-time as the program holds a mark of 1,076-736
- 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 94
- Murray leads the team in assists (317), aces (11) and digs (83)
- Rachel McCollum leads the team in blocks with 16
- Winthrop is third in the conference in assists per set (11.09) and digs per set (15.36)
- Winthrop is fourth in the conference in kills per set (12.58)
- Jolley is third in the Big South in kills per set with 3.13
- Murray leads the conference in assists per set with 9.61
- Winthrop's .375 hitting percentage vs. Alabama State leads the Big South so far this season
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 continues Big South play with consecutive matchups Friday, Oct. 11 in Clinton, S.C. vs. Presbyterian at 6:00 p.m. and Charleston Southern on Saturday, Oct. 12 in Charleston at 2:00 p.m.
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