CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Winthrop University volleyball team turned in a dominant road performance Friday night, sweeping Charleston Southern in straight sets, 3-0, inside the CSU Field House. 

Top Performers 

Kills - Laila Glover (11), Paige Bennett (11), Giselle Little (10) 
Aces - Rachel McCollum (1), Teagan Sychterz (1), Paige Bennett (1) 
Blocks - Rachel McCollum (2), Giselle Little (2), Avery Jolley (1) 
Assists - Rachel McCollum (35), Sophia Matthews (5), Avery Jolley (4) 
Digs - Rachel McCollum (15), Paige Bennett (13), Sophia Matthews (13) 

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Game Recap 
Set 1 

• Charleston Southern grabbed early control behind a pair of Skylar Yates kills and a Winthrop error for a 3-0 start, but the Eagles quickly steadied. Laila Glover put Winthrop on the board, and back-to-back kills from Paige Bennett and Giselle Little evened the frame at 3-3. 
• From there, the two sides traded points until Glover and Little combined for three kills in a four-point stretch to push Winthrop ahead 16-15. Bennett's service ace and a crisp set from Rachel McCollum to Little extended the margin to 17-15. 
• Down 14-12, the Eagles found rhythm offensively, McCollum feeding Jolley and Glover in quick succession, to flip the scoreboard and force CSU to chase. A late Bennett kill from the right side made it 24-20, setting up set point. 
• Avery Jolley sealed the opener with another McCollum assist as Winthrop closed on a 5-0 burst to take the first, 25-20. 

Set 2 

• The Buccaneers again struck first before Winthrop answered behind Teagan Sychterz's kill from the outside and Bennett's finish off a McCollum set. Through ten rallies the teams were even 5-5. 
• McCollum's precision setting opened the floor midway through; Bennett tallied 3 kills in the frame, and Winthrop's blocking tandem of Jolley and Sychterz stuffed a CSU attack to spark a 4-0 run, stretching the lead from 6-8 to 11-8. 
• Sychterz and McCollum each recorded a service ace during the run, and Winthrop's defense kept rallies alive with strong digs from Sophia Matthews. Little added a kill to make it 19-14 as momentum stayed firmly with the Eagles. 
• A late CSU service error ended any comeback threat, and Winthrop finished off another balanced effort, 25-20, to go up 2-0 in the match. 

Set 3 

• Charleston Southern opened the third in similar fashion, leading 3-2 after the first handful of exchanges, but Glover and Giselle Little answered quickly to knot things up. 
• Winthrop's offense hit full stride behind McCollum's tempo; Glover tallied 5 kills in the set alone, while Bennett and Jolley chipped in from the pins. 
• The pivotal stretch came midway when the Eagles rattled off four straight points, turning an 8-8 tie into an 11-8 advantage. The run featured kills by Teagan Sychterz, Bennett, and Little, punctuated by a CSU attack error. 
• From there, Winthrop never let go. McCollum continued to orchestrate the attack, setting up Glover for the final two kills of the match to finish the sweep, 25-18. 

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NEXT UP
The Eagles hit the road for a two-game swing in South Carolina, first taking on Charleston Southern on Friday then Presbyterian on Saturday. 

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