University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
4-10,1-0Big South
USC Upstate
7-7,0-1Big South
Volleyball Wins Big South Opener in Five-Set Thriller over USC Upstate
09.26.2025 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville opened Big South Conference play in dramatic fashion, outlasting USC Upstate in a five-set thriller (25–19, 25–19, 21–25, 20–25, 20–18) inside the Justice Center Friday evening.
The Bulldogs moved to 4–10 overall and 1–0 in conference, while the Spartans fell to 7–7, 0–1.
Friday night's brawl was Asheville's first five-set match inside the Justice Center since 2023.
Set 1: Asheville 25, Upstate 19
After trading points early, Asheville went on a 4-0 run to push ahead 10-6, following kills from Avery Loeback and Kylie Cackovic and concluding with back-to-back service aces from Payton Rolfsen. Asheville led for the remainder of the set with a kill from Avery Loeback, earning Asheville the set victory.
Set 2: Asheville 25, Upstate 19
Momentum carried over as Ana Djurovic opened the scoring for Asheville with consecutive service aces to spark a 4–1 lead. Upstate made it a one-point set (12-11) before an ace from Lydia Pate and a kill from Cackovic helped put Asheville back out by four. The Bulldogs closed the set out on a 5-1 run with Paton Rolfsen serving for four of Asheville's final five points, and Pate recording a solo block and the set-winning kill.
Set 3: Upstate 25, Asheville 21
The Spartans flipped the script in the third, surging ahead 21-13, but Asheville attempted a late set rally, as the Bulldogs cut it to 23–21. Back-to-back kills from Addie Brookbank, followed by an ace from Ana Djurovic, helped Asheville garner momentum. A solo block from Brookbank put Asheville down by two and forced the Spartans to call a timeout. Out of the break, Upstate scored the final two points of the set to avoid a three-set sweep.
Set 4: Upstate 25, Asheville 20
USC Upstate forced a decisive fifth set by sustaining its offensive rhythm. The Spartans recorded 18 kills, compared to Asheville's 11 in the fourth frame. Asheville trailed by one (18-19) late in the set following a kill from Cackovic, but the Spartans closed the set out on a 6-2 run to force the deciding set.
Set 5: Asheville 20, Upstate 18
The deciding set was a nail-biter. Asheville gained the early edge, which caused Upstate to take a timeout while trailing by three (7-4). The Spartans rallied back, taking a one-point lead late in the set, 13-12, which caused Asheville to call a timeout. Out of the break, a kill from Cackovic and Loeback put Asheville at match point, but Upstate answered to tie the score at 14. The two teams would trade blows over the next eight points. At 18–18, Asheville capitalized on an Upstate error before Selina Koc delivered the game-winning ace.
BULLDOG LEADERS
In her first match of the season, Williams was a force to be reckoned with at the net as she recorded 13 kills with a .571 attack percentage and accounted for three total blocks.
Kylie Cackovic recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs.
Lydia Pate had nine kills with a .538 attack percentage as well as two solo blocks and two block assists.
Payton Rolfsen had a double-double with 30 assists and 18 digs while recording a tied game-high four aces. Selina Koç also recorded a double-double with 16 assists and 17 digs.
Michelle Thao led Asheville's defense with 29 digs while also recording eight assists. Ana Djurovic had double-digit digs with 16 while also recording eight kills and finishing with a tied game-high four aces.
Asheville's serve-receive proved to be a key factor in the Bulldogs' victory as Asheville recorded 11 aces to Upstate's two.
UP NEXT
Asheville starts conference play 1-0, marking the first time since the 2010 and 2011 seasons that Asheville has had back-to-back conference opening wins (the Bulldogs defeated Radford to open the 2024 conference slate).
The Bulldogs return to action on Friday, Oct. 3, as they host Charleston Southern in the Justice Center at 6 p.m., before hosting Presbyterian on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.
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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.
