BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- The Winthrop University volleyball team dug deep on the road Friday night, grinding out a 3-2 win over Gardner-Webb behind a massive 27-kill performance from Avery Jolley, a new career-high mark. The Eagles steadied themselves after dropping the second and third sets, powering through the fourth and sealing the match in a tense 15-12 fifth set.
The Eagles claimed a share of the Big South Conference Regular Season title for the first time since 2019, splitting the honors with High Point, and earned the top overall seed in the conference tournament.
Top Performers
Kills - Avery Jolley (27), Paige Bennett (14), Teagan Sychterz (11)
Aces - Paige Bennett (4), Teagan Sychterz (2), Addison Torain (1)
Blocks - Rachel McCollum (5), Teagan Sychterz (5), Giselle Little (3)
Assists - Rachel McCollum (45), Isabella Murray (6) Sophia Matthews (4)
Digs - Sophia Matthews (21), Rachel McCollum (19), Addison Torain (17)
Game Recap
Set 1
- Winthrop jumped out fast as Paige Bennett and Giselle Little each struck early, and Bennett tacked on a service ace to build a 5-2 cushion.
- Jolley and Little continued to pressure the GWU block, while McCollum added a kill of her own to push the Eagles ahead 11-8.
- The Eagles' defense stepped up midway through, with back-to-back blocks involving McCollum, Little and Sychterz helping extend the lead to 14-8.
- Jolley delivered the closing punch with a kill from McCollum to cap the opener 25-20 and put Winthrop up.
Set 2
- Glover opened the frame with a kill, but Gardner-Webb answered with a 4-1 run fueled by Maesch and Kohler.
- Little and Bennett countered with kills to tie it 5-5, but GWU kept the pressure with consecutive kills by Kohler to create separation at 8-4.
- The Eagles chipped away to close the gap to 12-10, but a string of GWU kills from Franklin and Kohler pushed the Bulldogs back in front.
- Winthrop stayed within reach late, but Gardner-Webb's block and a late ace shut the door as the Eagles fell 25-20.
Set 3
- GWU built a quick 4-1 lead, forcing Winthrop to steady behind kills from Little and Sychterz to stay within one at 8-7.
- Jolley swung the momentum briefly with a pair of kills, and McCollum added one off a Jolley set to tie it 13-13.
- The Bulldogs responded with a key stretch of sideouts, including kills from Kohler and Crumbley, nudging ahead 16-13.
- Winthrop battled back behind Jolley and Sychterz, but Gardner-Webb held firm in the final rallies to take the set 25-22 and a 2-1 match lead.
Set 4
- Jolley reasserted control early with consecutive kills, then teamed with Sychterz for a kill that put Winthrop up 10-6.
- McCollum fed a balanced attack as Bennett, Sychterz and Jolley each connected to maintain a slim cushion midway through.
- GWU threatened with kills from Franklin and Kohler to pull within 18-17, but the Eagles held off the push with timely finishing swings from Jolley.
- Bennett put down the final two critical kills, sealing a 25-22 win and forcing the decisive fifth set.
Set 5
- Winthrop and Gardner-Webb traded early blows through 6-6 before the Eagles finally created separation, capitalizing on two GWU attack errors to move ahead 8-6.
- The Eagles kept their sideout rhythm, with Jolley and Bennett delivering key kills that extended the advantage to 11-8.
- Gardner-Webb cut it to 12-11 behind Kohler, but Winthrop answered with another Jolley kill and a Bennett finish to push the margin back out to 14-11.
- After GWU trimmed it to 14-12, Jolley closed the match with the final kill off a McCollum feed, sealing the 15-12 set and the regular season title.
NEXT UP
The Eagles prepare for the Big South Conference Championship, with their first match coming in the Semifinals after earning the first-round bye, taking on the winner of the 4-5 matchup on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
To keep up with the latest news on the Winthrop volleyball program by following on social media (Twitter / Instagram / Facebook).
