University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Saturday, October 23
Asheville, N.C.
2 p.m.
UNC Asheville
4-15,2-8Big South
2
vs
3
Presbyterian
9-11,4-6Big South
1
2
3
4
5
F
Presbyterian
25
20
14
26
15
3
UNC Asheville
6
25
25
24
12
2
Presbyterian rallies to upend Asheville in a five-set battle
10.23.2021 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville volleyball team dropped a five-set decision to Presbyterian (25-6,20-25, 14-25, 26-24, 15-12) Saturday afternoon at the Justice Center. Despite the loss, the Bulldogs set a new program record against the Blue Hose with 19 total blocks.
Stat Standouts – A trio of Bulldogs finished with double-digit point totals Saturday. Peyton McClinton tallied a double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs. Lexy Cole matched McClinton with 14 points thanks to seven kills, two solo blocks, and 10 block assists. Finally, Kat Cruser posted nine kills and seven block assists.
First Set – Saturday's match did not begin well for Asheville as the Blue Hose scored 12 of the first 13 points. PC was proficient on the attack (14 kills, .500 attack percentage), on the serve (three aces), and on the block (four blocks) on its way to a convincing 25-6 set win in the first.
Second Set – The Bulldogs did an excellent job bouncing back from a tough first set. Asheville tallied four blocks in the second, and the extra pressure from the Bulldogs seemed to impact Presbyterian. As a team, PC committed 15 total errors in the second, and Asheville used these miscues to tie the score at a set apiece, 25-20.
Third Set – Riding the momentum from the second set win, the Bulldogs kept rolling in the third. Asheville hit a match-best .343 with 15 kills to go with seven blocks to easily cruise to a 25-14 win. McClinton and Cole were critical in Asheville's success offensively and defensively as the duo combined for nine kills, two solo blocks, and six block assists in the stanza.
Fourth Set – It looked like the Blue Hose regained their first set form in the fourth as it jumped out to a 10-3 lead. Asheville, however, battled back even to take the lead at one point, 17-15. The Bulldogs and Blue Hose would trade points for the remainder of the frame and needed to play a couple extra to decide a winner. With the score tied at 24, Presbyterian came through with back-to-back points to force a fifth set, 26-24.
Fifth Set – For most of the fifth set, the match seemed to go either way. The turning point seemed to occur with the score tied at 11. Unfortunately for Bulldog fans, the tide went towards Presbyterian as it scored four of the next five points to finish off the five-set triumph.
Note from Coach – "It was definitely a heartbreaker for our team," said Head Coach Frederico Santos. "We fought so hard throughout the match, but I am happy with the fight, and we will continue working hard because there are still matches with a lot to play for."
Next Up – Asheville will return to the court next Friday when it visits league rival Winthrop. The start time for that match is set for 6 p.m.
Stat Standouts – A trio of Bulldogs finished with double-digit point totals Saturday. Peyton McClinton tallied a double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs. Lexy Cole matched McClinton with 14 points thanks to seven kills, two solo blocks, and 10 block assists. Finally, Kat Cruser posted nine kills and seven block assists.
First Set – Saturday's match did not begin well for Asheville as the Blue Hose scored 12 of the first 13 points. PC was proficient on the attack (14 kills, .500 attack percentage), on the serve (three aces), and on the block (four blocks) on its way to a convincing 25-6 set win in the first.
Second Set – The Bulldogs did an excellent job bouncing back from a tough first set. Asheville tallied four blocks in the second, and the extra pressure from the Bulldogs seemed to impact Presbyterian. As a team, PC committed 15 total errors in the second, and Asheville used these miscues to tie the score at a set apiece, 25-20.
Third Set – Riding the momentum from the second set win, the Bulldogs kept rolling in the third. Asheville hit a match-best .343 with 15 kills to go with seven blocks to easily cruise to a 25-14 win. McClinton and Cole were critical in Asheville's success offensively and defensively as the duo combined for nine kills, two solo blocks, and six block assists in the stanza.
Fourth Set – It looked like the Blue Hose regained their first set form in the fourth as it jumped out to a 10-3 lead. Asheville, however, battled back even to take the lead at one point, 17-15. The Bulldogs and Blue Hose would trade points for the remainder of the frame and needed to play a couple extra to decide a winner. With the score tied at 24, Presbyterian came through with back-to-back points to force a fifth set, 26-24.
Fifth Set – For most of the fifth set, the match seemed to go either way. The turning point seemed to occur with the score tied at 11. Unfortunately for Bulldog fans, the tide went towards Presbyterian as it scored four of the next five points to finish off the five-set triumph.
Note from Coach – "It was definitely a heartbreaker for our team," said Head Coach Frederico Santos. "We fought so hard throughout the match, but I am happy with the fight, and we will continue working hard because there are still matches with a lot to play for."
Next Up – Asheville will return to the court next Friday when it visits league rival Winthrop. The start time for that match is set for 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Presb
UNC-A
Kills
56
44
Errors
35
25
Attempts
147
132
Hitting %
.143
.144
Points
75
66
Assists
49
40
Aces
7
3
Blocks
12
19
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
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