BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- The Winthrop University volleyball team defeated Gardner-Webb 3-1 on Saturday in their Big South Conference opener.
Paige Bennett powered through with a team-high 22 kills on .317 hitting, tying her career-high for the third time this season, while
Lexi Thatcher delivered a team-high 47 assists and
Addison Torain dug deep with a season-high 24 digs.
Top Performers
Kills - Bennett (22),
KeAra Bowen (12),Â
Reece Rhoads (9)
Aces - Torain (3),
Teagan Sychterz (3),Â
Lindsay Langner (2)
Blocks - Sychterz (7), Thatcher (4), Bennett (2)
Assists - Thatcher (47), Torain (3), Langner (3)
Digs - Torain (24), Bennett (10),  Langner (8)
Set 1
The Eagles moved in front 3-0 to open the first set, with Bowen putting down a Thatcher set before Sychterz served back-to-back aces.
After GWU got within 6-3,
Giselle Little's kill returned serve to the Eagles and Torain served the next six points, including three aces, as the Eagles built a 13-3 lead.
The Runnin' Bulldogs later scored three straight to pull to 20-12 and added another three-point run after the Eagles reached 23-13, but
Reece Rhoads put the Eagles on set point at 24-16.
After a service error, Bowen closed the set with a kill from Thatcher for a 25-17 Eagles win.
Set 2
The Eagles erased an early 4-2 deficit with kills by Thatcher and Little, followed by a Bennett service ace for a 5-4 lead.
GWU moved back in front at 7-5 on a Samia Sayd kill and an Isabel Sandstrum ace, and after Rhoads' kill kept the Eagles within 9-8, the Runnin' Bulldogs scored four straight to build a 13-8 lead.
Little's kill made it 16-11, but GWU answered with seven consecutive points, including two Sandstrum aces, before Milla Lugo and Caroline Franklin supplied the final two kills in a 25-12 set win.
Set 3
After GWU evened the third set at 2-2, the Eagles moved in front with a Little kill and consecutive Bennett kills from Thatcher for a 5-2 lead.
The Eagles expanded the gap with blocks involving Little, Thatcher and Sychterz, a Rhoads kill and back-to-back Bowen kills to reach 15-6 before the Runnin' Bulldogs scored four straight, including a Sarina Galyean kill, to make it 15-10.
GWU later pulled within 19-15, but the Eagles came back with a Little-Thatcher block for 20-15 and, after a Runnin' Bulldogs point, used a Rhoads kill and two more Bowen kills to go up 23-16 before closing the set 25-18 on Bennett's kill from Thatcher.
Set 4
After an even start, GWU moved ahead 10-7 on kills by Samia Sayd and Kiera Vazquez, but the Eagles got a Thatcher kill, a Sychterz/Bowen block and a Rhoads kill to help pull even at 11-11.
The Runnin' Bulldogs scored four of the next five points to go up 15-12 before the Eagles answered with a Little kill, a GWU attack error and back-to-back Bennett kills for a 16-15 lead.
After ties at 16-16 and 17-17, the Eagles scored five of the next six points, including two Rhoads kills and blocks involving Sychterz, to move ahead 22-18.
GWU cut the margin to 24-23, but Bennett finished a Thatcher assist to close the set 25-23.
NEXT UP
The Eagles return home to host Charleston Southern on Friday at 6 p.m. at Winthrop Coliseum in Rock Hill, S.C. for the conference home opener.
