ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- The Winthrop University volleyball team swept UNC Asheville on Saturday, completing its perfect conference weekend, not dropping a single set. With the win, the Eagles now have their second six-match winning streak on the season, winning 12 of their last 13 matches.
Paige Bennett posted a team-high 12 kills on .529 hitting with eight digs.
Teagan Sychterz had a team-high and season-high nine blocks with three kills and
Lexi Thatcher added 24 assists, nine digs and three blocks.
Bennett recorded at least 12 kills in 20 consecutive matches. The Eagles racked up 12 total blocks while holding Asheville  to hit .094 with 25 attack errors.Â
TOP PERFORMERS
Kills - Bennett (12), Rhoads (6), Bowen (6)
Aces - Â Cadavid (1), Bennett (1), Kincaid (1)
Blocks - Â Sychterz (9), Bowen (4), Thatcher (3)
Assists - Â Thatcher (24), Torain (4), Rhoads (1)
Digs - Â Thatcher (9), Torain (9), Bennett (8)
SET 1
Asheville scored the first three points before the Eagles tied the set at 3-3 on a Bowen kill from Bennett.
After Asheville moved ahead 8-5, the Eagles won seven of the next eight rallies, with
Reece Rhoads contributing two kills and Bennett serving an ace during the stretch for a 12-9 lead.
Asheville pulled even at 14-14 on an ace, but the Eagles answered with two points, including a block by Sychterz and Bowen.
The Eagles pushed the margin from 18-17 to 22-17 and closed the set 25-20 on a Rhoads kill from Thatcher.
SET 2
The Eagles built an early 5-2 lead with kills from Sychterz and Bennett and an
Alyah Cadavid service ace.
Asheville came back to tie the set at 9-9, but Rhoads and Bennett answered with back-to-back kills apiece to put the Eagles ahead 13-9.
After Asheville pulled within 16-15, Bennett's kill, a
Reese Kincaid ace and an attack error pushed the Eagles' lead to 19-15.
The Eagles kept the margin late, with
Giselle Little adding a kill and combining with Thatcher on a block before Bowen's kill made it 24-20 and an Asheville attack error closed the 25-20 set.
SET 3
The Eagles scored the first two points, including a Sychterz kill from Thatcher, before Asheville answered with four straight points to move ahead 4-2.
The set stayed tight through the middle stretch, with the Eagles moving in front 13-12 on consecutive blocks involving Sychterz before Asheville later used a service error and two kills to go up 20-17.
The Eagles rallied from there, turning the 20-17 deficit into a 21-20 lead on a service error and three Asheville attack errors.
After the set reached 21-21, kills from Bowen and Bennett helped the Eagles close out the set 25-22.
NEXT UP
The Eagles host High Point for a matchup atop the Big South standings on Friday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. at the Winthrop Coliseum.
