ASHEVILLE, N.C. ? The UNC Asheville volleyball team opens Big South Conference play against a very tough High Point squad at Justice Center Friday night starting at 7 p.m. Admission is $5. The match will be video-streamed and can be watched at www.uncabulldogs.com or www.bigsouthsports.com for a small fee.
The Bulldogs have enjoyed a much stronger start to the 2008 season than the past two years. Asheville enters league play with an 8-5 slate this season after having tough non-conference seasons in 2006 and 2007. The Bulldogs downed UNC Wilmington last Saturday in five games as they were down two games but stormed back to take the final three games. Asheville won its home opener against North Carolina A&T in three games on Tuesday night.
“We've steadily gotten better with each weekend,” commented UNC Asheville coach Julie Torbett. “We're still not as consistent as we want to be but we've played hard in most of our matches. Our effort has been outstanding and we're off to a good start.”
The Bulldogs face a stiff challenge Friday night against a surging High Point team. The Panthers are 10-3 on the year and captured a tournament at the University of Buffalo last weekend. High Point knocked Asheville off twice last year before the Bulldogs were able to slip past the Panthers in five games during the quarterfinals of the Big South Conference Tournament.
“I am very impressed with High Point this season,” declared Torbett. “They have picked up some good wins and are playing good volleyball. We're going to have to be at our best to have a chance at winning Friday night.”
Sophomore Kelsey Benorden continues to lead the Asheville attack this season. She leads Asheville in kills with a 3.25 per set average. Junior Raquel Miotto tops the Bulldogs in digs with a 3.98 per set average.
