University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
USC Upstate
Volleyball travels to USC Upstate for Big South Conference Opener
09.22.2023 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville volleyball team hits the road on Saturday (Sept. 23) as they face the Spartans of USC Upstate in their first Big South Conference matchup.
Saturday's contest kicks off the Ingles I-26 Rivalry between the Bulldogs and Spartans. The Bulldogs and Spartans will compete throughout the year utilizing a points system awarding on-field success. Programs will also be able to earn points through volunteering with Ingles to help battle food insecurity in both Asheville, N.C., and Spartanburg, S.C.
LAST TIME OUT
Asheville enters Saturday's contest 6-7 after picking up a thrilling five-set victory over UNC Greensboro last week in the UNC Greensboro Spartan Tri-Match. Asheville also faced Charlotte in last Saturday's tri-match and fell to the 49ers in a five-set battle. Albertine van der Goot led the Bulldogs with a double-double against Charlotte and posted a season-high seven blocks against UNCG. Kat Davis combined for 45 assists between the two matches, and Matilde Teixeira recorded a season-high 23 kills against the Spartans and finished the weekend with 34 kills.
BULLDOGS vs. SPARTANS
Saturday's match will be the 22nd time Asheville and Upstate have faced each other, with their first matchup dating back to Sept. 16, 1986. Asheville won the last matchup between the two teams in three sets on Oct. 28, 2022, snapping a four-game losing streak.
ABOUT THE SPARTANS
Upstate enters Saturday 7-5 after going 2-1 in the UNF Sunshine Invitational last weekend. The Spartans are led by Kayla Spangler, who is No. 1 in the conference in assists, averaging 8.90 per set; Ashleigh Nicoll, who has 128 kills; Julia Gladhill, who has 131 digs (4.09 avg/s); and Ady O'Grady, who is No. 3 in the conference in points with 112 kills, 12 service aces, and 35 blocks.
BULLDOG STAT LEADERS ENTERING LEAGUE PLAY
Baylor Herlehy enters league play at the top of the leaderboard in blocks with 59, averaging 1.23. Herlehy recorded a season-high of nine total blocks against UNCG last Saturday. Herlehy is No. 2 in the conference in hitting percentage with a .351 off 62 kills, 17 errors, and 132 attempts.
Teixeira is No. 3 in league standings in kills with 144, averaging 3.06 a set. She is No. 9 in the league with a .204 hitting percentage. Teixeira leads the team with 156.5 points and is No. 6 in the Big South with points.
On the assists leaderboard, Ona Elkins and Davis are at No.9 and No. 10, respectively, with Elkins averaging 3.81 assists a set and Davis averaging 3.70. Michelle Thao is No. 10 in digs, averaging 2.56 a set.
FOLLOW ALONG
Saturday's contest will not be streamed, but live stats can be followed along through the link here. You can also follow Asheville's 𝕏 account for in-game updates.
About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.4 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 118 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
