Rock Hill, S.C. – After splitting matches on the road with High Point and Radford last weekend, Winthrop Volleyball (10-9, 7-2 Big South) heads to UNC Asheville (11-6, 5-4 Big South) Tuesday evening in a match originally scheduled to take place on Friday, Oct. 4 at 6:00 p.m. but was postponed due to the wet conditions caused by Hurricane Helene.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS UNC ASHEVILLE
This is the 83rd meeting between the programs with Winthrop leading the series, 42-40. Winthrop has won the previous six and 13 of the last 16 meetings between the two schools. The first meeting was in 1980 with the Eagles winning 2-0 on the way to taking the first eight and 19 of the first 27 meetings. The Eagles swept the Bulldogs last season, both by scores of 3-0. The most recent meeting was on Nov. 3, 2023 on the road. UNC Asheville went 8-20 (2-12 Big South) last season.
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
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
Karli Shepherd-Big South Player of the Week-Oct. 7-13
- Shepherd paced the Eagles' offense to two road sweeps, leading the team in total kills with 30 (5.00 per set) and total points with 32.5 (5.42 per set)
- She added 2.50 digs per set
- Shepherd had her career-high for kills in Saturday's match against Charleston Southern, as she put down 17 in just three sets
Isabella Murray-Big South Setter of the Week-Oct. 7-13
- Murray's work on the weekend helped lead the Eagles to a .275 hitting percentage and two 3-0 victories
- She totaled 75 assists (12.33 per set) and her 41 assists on Friday against Presbyterian was her third match this season with at least 40
- Murray added 2.33 digs per set and 1.00 kills per set to compliment her assist numbers
Sophia Matthews-Big South Libero of the Week-Oct. 7-13
- Matthews scooped up 37 digs in two road match victories, good for 6.17 per set
- She would post career bests in digs in both contests -- first picking up 18 on Friday at PC followed by 19 on Saturday at Charleston Southern
- Matthews anchored the Eagles defense with a .950 reception percentage while holding the opposition to a .132 hitting clip
Isabella Murray-Big South Setter of the Week-Oct. 14-20
- Picked up 82 total assists (11.71 per set) while adding 25 digs (3.57 per set) in two matches
- She had 51 assists and 11 digs against Radford on Friday and added another 31 assists and 14 digs against High Point on Saturday
- Murray's 51-assist performance is a new season high
Isabella Murray-Big South Setter of the Week-Oct. 21-27
- Murray directed the Eagles to two sweeps with the team recording an overall .310 hitting percentage last week
- She notched 72 assists (12.00 per set) to pace the offense and contributed 24 digs (4.00 per set) to provide assistance on the defensive end
- Murray recorded a double-double in both matches and added a season-high five kills in Saturday's win over Presbyterian
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES
- Winthrop's originally scheduled match at Gardner-Webb on Saturday, Sep. 28 at 2:00 p.m. was postponed due to the wet conditions caused by Hurricane Helene
- The match with Gardner-Webb will now take place in Boiling Springs, N.C. on Gardner-Webb's home court on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 6:00 p.m.
- Winthrop volleyball began a four-match road trip by splitting series with High Point and Radford this past weekend
- Against the Panthers, three Eagles had double figures in digs
- Against the Highlanders, Mathews had a career high in digs with 20
- Rachel McCollum had a career high in digs with 14
- Three Eagles had double figures in kills
- Murray is the third setter in school history with 2,500 assists, 600 digs and 100 blocks
- Murray currently has 2,592 assists, 657 digs and 125 blocks
- Bennett has 100 career kills and is 12 digs away from 100 in her career
- Avery Jolley is 16 digs away from 500 in her career
- Giselle Little is 11 kills away from 100 in her career
- McCollum now has more than 100 career assists (105)
- Shepherd is four total blocks away from 100 in her career
- The Eagles have played 1,821 matches all-time as the program holds a mark of 1,083-738
- 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 202
- Murray leads the team in assists (650) and aces (16)
- Maeve Rehmann leads the team in blocks with 42
- Matthews leads the team in digs with 226
- Winthrop is second in the conference in kills per set (13.44)
- This is also ranked 43rd in the nation
- Winthrop is second the conference in digs per set (17.66)
- This is also ranked 7th in the nation
- Winthrop is second in the conference in assists per set (12.13)
- Winthrop is second in the conference in hitting percentage (.208)
- Jolley is second in the Big South in kills per set with 3.42
- Rehmann is fifth in the conference in hitting percentage with .286
- Matthews is fifth in the conference in digs per set with 4.52
- Murray leads the conference in assists per set with 10.48
- This is also ranked 21st in the nation
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
The Eagles travel to USC Upstate on Friday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. and then host UNC Asheville on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 5:00 p.m. as part of Homecoming weekend.
On that day, the Eagle men's basketball program hosts Little Rock at noon. Free admission will be given to those who show their ticket from the men's basketball game. In addition, the first 100 fans who attend the match vs. UNC Asheville will receive free rope hats courtesy of Atrium Health.
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