University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Friday, October 22
Asheville, N.C.
6 p.m.
UNC Asheville
4-14,2-7Big South
1
vs
3
Charleston Southern
7-12,3-6Big South
1
2
3
4
F
Charleston So.
21
25
26
25
3
UNC Asheville
25
19
24
17
1
Charleston Southern outlasts Bulldogs in a four-set battle
10.22.2021 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – After dropping the first set 25-21 to the UNC Asheville volleyball team, Charleston Southern rattled off three straight set victories (25-19, 26-24, 25-17) to finish off a four-set win over the Bulldogs Friday evening at the Justice Center.
Stat Standouts – Senior Molly Hackett paced Asheville Friday, totaling 15 kills on 36 attempts with just four errors (.306 attack percentage) to go with 12 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Kat Cruser and Nina Finderle had an efficient night on the attack and the block as the duo combined for 13 kills on 24 attacks with just two errors (.458 hitting percentage) to go with 10 block assists. The Bulldogs matched a season-high with 10 aces, with five coming from Anna Skryd. Skryd's five aces in a four-set match are tied for the second-most in program history with five other performances, with the last being KK Haley vs. Coppin State on September 16, 2017.
Set 1 – Asheville came out ready to play in the opening stanza. Attacking at a .240 clip and out-blocking the Buccaneers four to zero in the first led the Bulldogs to a 25-21 win. Hackett had four of her 15 kills in the first, while Carley Modlin provided an offensive boost off the bench tallying three kills in three attempts as well.
Set 2 – It looked midway through the second that the Bulldogs would roll to a 2-0 lead. Skryd used four of her five aces to help build the Bulldog lead to six points, 8-2. Asheville continued to hold the six-point lead after a Cruser kill made it 17-11. However, Charleston Southern got things rolling after that point, scoring 14 of the following 16 points to even the match at a set apiece, 25-19.
Set 3 – The third set was arguably the most competitive of the match, with 11 tied scores and four lead changes. With the score knotted at 19, back-to-back aces from Brandy Kishbaugh gave Asheville a 21-19 advantage and seemingly swung the momentum in favor of the Bulldogs. However, Peyton Thompson tallied two of her 24 kills in the match in the following two points to tie the score again at 21. A kill from Lexy Cole briefly gave Asheville a set point opportunity, but the Buccaneers put together a 3-0 run to take the third, 26-24.
Set 4 – In the fourth and final set, the Bulldogs were hanging with Charleston Southern to the mid to late stages. A kill from Cruser made it 19-16 CSU, but yet another stellar run by the Buccaneers (6-1) sunk the Bulldogs, 25-17, and gave the match to the visitors.
Note from Coach – "We fought hard together tonight but couldn't overcome some difficult moments in the match," said Head Coach Frederico Santos afterward. "I am happy with the overall performance of the team, and we will continue to fight."
Next Up – Asheville, now 4-14 overall and 2-7 in league action, will be back in action on Saturday when it welcomes Presbyterian to the Justice Center. The first serve between the Bulldogs and Blue Hose is set for 2 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+. Admission to Saturday's match is free, and our CoVID protocols are listed below.
Stat Standouts – Senior Molly Hackett paced Asheville Friday, totaling 15 kills on 36 attempts with just four errors (.306 attack percentage) to go with 12 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Kat Cruser and Nina Finderle had an efficient night on the attack and the block as the duo combined for 13 kills on 24 attacks with just two errors (.458 hitting percentage) to go with 10 block assists. The Bulldogs matched a season-high with 10 aces, with five coming from Anna Skryd. Skryd's five aces in a four-set match are tied for the second-most in program history with five other performances, with the last being KK Haley vs. Coppin State on September 16, 2017.
Set 1 – Asheville came out ready to play in the opening stanza. Attacking at a .240 clip and out-blocking the Buccaneers four to zero in the first led the Bulldogs to a 25-21 win. Hackett had four of her 15 kills in the first, while Carley Modlin provided an offensive boost off the bench tallying three kills in three attempts as well.
Set 2 – It looked midway through the second that the Bulldogs would roll to a 2-0 lead. Skryd used four of her five aces to help build the Bulldog lead to six points, 8-2. Asheville continued to hold the six-point lead after a Cruser kill made it 17-11. However, Charleston Southern got things rolling after that point, scoring 14 of the following 16 points to even the match at a set apiece, 25-19.
Set 3 – The third set was arguably the most competitive of the match, with 11 tied scores and four lead changes. With the score knotted at 19, back-to-back aces from Brandy Kishbaugh gave Asheville a 21-19 advantage and seemingly swung the momentum in favor of the Bulldogs. However, Peyton Thompson tallied two of her 24 kills in the match in the following two points to tie the score again at 21. A kill from Lexy Cole briefly gave Asheville a set point opportunity, but the Buccaneers put together a 3-0 run to take the third, 26-24.
Set 4 – In the fourth and final set, the Bulldogs were hanging with Charleston Southern to the mid to late stages. A kill from Cruser made it 19-16 CSU, but yet another stellar run by the Buccaneers (6-1) sunk the Bulldogs, 25-17, and gave the match to the visitors.
Note from Coach – "We fought hard together tonight but couldn't overcome some difficult moments in the match," said Head Coach Frederico Santos afterward. "I am happy with the overall performance of the team, and we will continue to fight."
Next Up – Asheville, now 4-14 overall and 2-7 in league action, will be back in action on Saturday when it welcomes Presbyterian to the Justice Center. The first serve between the Bulldogs and Blue Hose is set for 2 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+. Admission to Saturday's match is free, and our CoVID protocols are listed below.
Team Stats
ChaSou
UNC-A
Kills
55
41
Errors
18
16
Attempts
139
115
Hitting %
.266
.217
Points
70
60
Assists
53
37
Aces
11
10
Blocks
4
9
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
5
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballMB/RS
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's VolleyballHighlights || Volleyball || UNC Asheville vs Gardner-Webb
Monday, November 06
Highlights || Volleyball || UNC Asheville vs Winthrop
Monday, November 06
Highlights || Volleyball || UNC Asheville at Presbyterian
Monday, October 30
Highlights || Volleyball || UNC Asheville at Charleston Southern
Monday, October 30