HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The Top-seeded Winthrop University volleyball team controlled for stretches and twice led the match, but No. 4 seed UNC Asheville's blocking turned the Big South Conference Tournament Semifinals on its head, as the Eagles fell 3-2 on Saturday at the Millis Center.
Avery Jolley led all players with 18 kills as
Sophia Matthews dug out a match-high 26 balls, but the block of the Bulldogs was insurmountable, as Asheville had finished with a season-high 16 total blocks.
Top Performers
Kills - Avery Jolley (18),
Paige Bennett (13),
Laila Glover (12)
Aces - Teagan Sychterz (3),
Rachel McCollum (1),
Paige Bennett (1)
Blocks - Rachel McCollum (2),
Teagan Sychterz (2),
Paige Bennett (2)
Assists - Rachel McCollum (38),
Isabella Murray (12),
Sophia Matthews (2)
Digs - Sophia Matthews (26),
Avery Jolley (19),
Addison Torain (17)
Game Recap
Set 1
- Winthrop's standard core settled in early, with Bennett providing the first steadying kill after Asheville grabbed the opening rally.
- Jolley scored in transition off a Matthews serve, and Glover established the middle as the offense found its rhythm.
- McCollum added a second-touch kill, tilting momentum as Asheville's errors piled up.
- Bennett, Jolley and Glover each put down late kills, and pressure at the net forced a ball-handling error to close a dominant 25-16 start
Set 2
- Bennett and Little opened with kills, and Winthrop briefly held the early edge.
- Asheville's block tightened up, capitalizing on Eagle attack errors and flipping the frame.
- Jolley, Glover and Sychterz chipped away to keep the Eagles within one or two points, while Matthews steadied the back row.
- A late service ace from Asheville and a kill from Djurovic sealed the 25-21 response to even the match at one-all.
Set 3
- Little and Bennett sparked the third, and Sychterz added up the middle as Winthrop rebuilt control.
- McCollum's tempo in the middle of the set opened Jolley and Glover, while Bennett continued to cash in on attempts.
- Murray entered late and connected with Bennett to keep Winthrop in front of another tight frame.
- After a series of long rallies, an Asheville attack error ended it, giving the Eagles a 25-22 win and a 2-1 match lead.
Set 4
- Asheville surged early, but Glover answered with a block, and Bennett and Jolley scored.
- The teams traded blows throughout, with Cackovic and Herlehy powering Asheville, while Bennett and Jolley matched from the pins.
- Sychterz delivered a momentum-shifting service ace, and Glover added a late kill as Winthrop tried to close the match.
- Asheville finished stronger, using van der Goot and Czepukaitis at the net to take the set 25-22 and force a decisive fifth.
Set 5
- Bennett and Jolley struck early, with Glover adding a middle kill as the set opened point-for-point.
- Asheville went on a six-point run, catching Winthrop in a not-so-favorable rotation.
- Winthrop's defense held under pressure, Matthews kept rallies alive, and the block forced several Asheville miscues to keep the Eagles within a point into the mid-teens.
- Asheville gained separation off a pair of Eagle errors, then closed the match behind another van der Goot block, sealing the 15-12 finish and ending Winthrop's run in the semifinals.
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