University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Friday, October 8
Asheville, N.C.
6 p.m.
UNC Asheville
4-10,2-3Big South
3
vs
0
Gardner-Webb
6-9,3-2Big South
1
2
3
F
Gardner-Webb
20
15
19
0
UNC Asheville
25
25
25
3
Bulldogs sweep Gardner-Webb for second straight Big South win
10.08.2021 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – In a matchup of Bulldogs, the UNC Asheville volleyball team swept Gardner-Webb in three sets (25-20, 25-15, 25-19) Friday evening at the Justice Center. The victory is Asheville's second straight and its seventh in a row over Gardner-Webb, dating back to 2018.
Stat Standouts – Asheville saw several players have standout statistical nights to fuel the win. Peyton McClinton scored 18 points herself thanks to 14 kills (.324 hitting percentage), two aces, and four block assists. Molly Hackett also hit above .300 for the match, checking in at .304, and tallied a double-double as well with 11 kills and 11 digs. Setting up this duo and the rest of the Bulldog offense most of the night was Grace Volk, who finished with 32 assists (10.67 A/S) to go with seven digs.
Defensively, Asheville put together one of its better efforts of the season, holding Gardner-Webb to a .128 attack percentage to go with a season-best 12 total blocks. Brandy Kishbaugh notched her fifth straight double-digit dig performance finishing a team-high 15 digs. Nina Finderle, meanwhile, led the way up front playing a part in seven blocks for the Bulldogs, which was one shy of tying a program record in a three-set match. Finderle was not alone in the block category as six different Bulldogs had at least one block assist on the night.
Set 1 – After the Bulldogs led in the very early stages of the opening set, Gardner-Webb answered with a run to build the first sizable lead of the match. A 5-0 run from the Runnin' Bulldogs turned a 5-4 lead for Asheville into a 9-5 advantage for Gardner-Webb. GWU's spark of offense was quickly answered as Asheville rattled off 10 straight points to pull back in front, 15-9. A timeout from Gardner-Webb seemed to do the trick as it chipped at the deficit all the way down to one, 21-20. However, Asheville closed the first set with a 4-0 run to take the frame, 25-20.
Set 2 – The Bulldogs were effective on both offense and defense in the second. Offensively, Asheville attacked at a .310 clip with 12 kills on 29 attempts. Just as vital was the Bulldogs' work upfront as they totaled six blocks in the second set alone, including a burst of three straight in the middle of the frame. With both phases of the game working so well for Asheville, it went on to take the set, 25-15.
Set 3 – Riding the wave of momentum from back-to-back set victories, the Bulldogs jumped on Gardner-Webb again in the third. Before the Runnin' Bulldogs could crack the scoreboard, Asheville held a 5-0 lead. Despite the early hole, Gardner-Webb battled back to get the score within one point at 13-12. Another key 4-0 run from Asheville swung the momentum back its way, and this time Gardner-Webb could not muster an answer as the Bulldogs held on to take the third set, 25-19.
Note from Coach - "Fantastic performance tonight," said Head Coach Frederico Santos Our team was very determined from the outset and was very much in control of the match. Our blocking was phenomenal tonight! We are so proud of the team and how they performed tonight. We all want to thank our fans, friends, family, and all the student-athletes that came to support us tonight, you make a world of difference and push us forward in tough moments. Thank you."
Next Up – Asheville will aim for its third straight win Saturday afternoon as it welcomes Winthrop to the Justice Center for another Big South clash. The Eagles, who were knocked off by USC Upstate tonight in four sets, and Bulldogs are scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
Stat Standouts – Asheville saw several players have standout statistical nights to fuel the win. Peyton McClinton scored 18 points herself thanks to 14 kills (.324 hitting percentage), two aces, and four block assists. Molly Hackett also hit above .300 for the match, checking in at .304, and tallied a double-double as well with 11 kills and 11 digs. Setting up this duo and the rest of the Bulldog offense most of the night was Grace Volk, who finished with 32 assists (10.67 A/S) to go with seven digs.
Defensively, Asheville put together one of its better efforts of the season, holding Gardner-Webb to a .128 attack percentage to go with a season-best 12 total blocks. Brandy Kishbaugh notched her fifth straight double-digit dig performance finishing a team-high 15 digs. Nina Finderle, meanwhile, led the way up front playing a part in seven blocks for the Bulldogs, which was one shy of tying a program record in a three-set match. Finderle was not alone in the block category as six different Bulldogs had at least one block assist on the night.
Set 1 – After the Bulldogs led in the very early stages of the opening set, Gardner-Webb answered with a run to build the first sizable lead of the match. A 5-0 run from the Runnin' Bulldogs turned a 5-4 lead for Asheville into a 9-5 advantage for Gardner-Webb. GWU's spark of offense was quickly answered as Asheville rattled off 10 straight points to pull back in front, 15-9. A timeout from Gardner-Webb seemed to do the trick as it chipped at the deficit all the way down to one, 21-20. However, Asheville closed the first set with a 4-0 run to take the frame, 25-20.
Set 2 – The Bulldogs were effective on both offense and defense in the second. Offensively, Asheville attacked at a .310 clip with 12 kills on 29 attempts. Just as vital was the Bulldogs' work upfront as they totaled six blocks in the second set alone, including a burst of three straight in the middle of the frame. With both phases of the game working so well for Asheville, it went on to take the set, 25-15.
Set 3 – Riding the wave of momentum from back-to-back set victories, the Bulldogs jumped on Gardner-Webb again in the third. Before the Runnin' Bulldogs could crack the scoreboard, Asheville held a 5-0 lead. Despite the early hole, Gardner-Webb battled back to get the score within one point at 13-12. Another key 4-0 run from Asheville swung the momentum back its way, and this time Gardner-Webb could not muster an answer as the Bulldogs held on to take the third set, 25-19.
Note from Coach - "Fantastic performance tonight," said Head Coach Frederico Santos Our team was very determined from the outset and was very much in control of the match. Our blocking was phenomenal tonight! We are so proud of the team and how they performed tonight. We all want to thank our fans, friends, family, and all the student-athletes that came to support us tonight, you make a world of difference and push us forward in tough moments. Thank you."
Next Up – Asheville will aim for its third straight win Saturday afternoon as it welcomes Winthrop to the Justice Center for another Big South clash. The Eagles, who were knocked off by USC Upstate tonight in four sets, and Bulldogs are scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
Team Stats
GW
UNC-A
Kills
34
40
Errors
20
11
Attempts
109
96
Hitting %
.128
.302
Points
43
60
Assists
31
38
Aces
5
8
Blocks
4
12
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
14
Aces
2
Blocks
4
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Players Mentioned
MB/RS
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
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