University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Gardner-Webb
Volleyball Takes First Big South Conference Road Trip
10.09.2025 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville volleyball team will hit the road this weekend for two Big South Conference matches. The Bulldogs will face Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C., on Friday (Oct. 10) before traveling to face Winthrop on Saturday (Oct. 11) in Rock Hill, S.C..
MATCH ONE
- UNC Asheville vs. Gardner-Webb
- Friday, October 10, 2025
- 6:00 PM ET
- Boiling Springs, NC
- ESPN+
- Live Stats
- History
A LOOK AT GARDNER-WEBB
Gardner-Webb is 8-10 overall and 1-2 in Big South Conference play. The Runnin' Bulldogs went 1-1 last weekend, defeating Radford in three sets before falling to High Point in four.
Gardner-Webb is No. 1 in the nation in team attacks per set (40.06) and total team attacks (2,724). In the Big South, Gardner-Webb is No. 1 in aces per set (1.66), digs per set (17.78), and No. 4 in the nation, team assists (761), team digs (1,209), and No. 2 in the nation, team kills (810) and aces (113). leads the Big South in service aces with an average of 1.66 per set.
Nalani McBride leads the league and is No. 3 in the nation in digs per set at 5.49 and leads the league and nation in total digs at 373. McBride has been named the Big South's Libero of the Week three times this season.
Milla Lugo is No. 1 in the league in total blocks with 73.
MATCH TWO
- UNC Asheville vs. Winthrop
- Saturday, October 11, 2025
- 5:00 PM ET
- ESPN+
- Live Stats
- History
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES
Winthrop is 8-5 overall and 2-1 in Big South play. This past weekend, Winthrop went 1-1 as the Eagles defeated High Point in five sets before falling to Radford in five. Winthrop leads the league in winning percentage at .615 and hitting percentage with a .232.
Avery Jolly leads the Eagles in kills and aces with 194 kills and 16 aces, and is second in digs with 141. She leads the Big South in attacks per set (10.80), kills per set (3.73), and points, averaging 4.28 a set.
BULLDOG BITES
The Bulldogs enter this week following a 1-1 weekend as Asheville fell to Charleston Southern in four sets on Friday and then defeated Presbyterian in four sets on Saturday. On the weekend, Kylie Cackovic led Asheville with 27 kills, followed by Albertine van der Goot with 22. Payton Rolfsen and Selina Koc combined for 80 assists, with Rolfsen leading the way with 50. Addie Brookbank finished the weekend with a team high five aces. On defense, Michelle Thao had 65 digs, averaging 8.13 a set. She finished with a .926 reception percentage. At the net, Alison Goldberg led Asheville with 10 total blocks.
Thao has earned her second Big South Conference Libero of the Week honor this season. Against Charleston Southern, Thao had a season-high 34 digs, and she recorded 31 against Presbyterian for her third 30-dig effort of the year. She's recorded 20-or-more digs in seven matches. Thao led the nation last week in digs per set and is No. 11 on the season with 5.11 and No. 9 in total digs with 317. She's No. 2 in the league in both categories.
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