University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
14-9,2-5Big South
Gardner-Webb
13-8,4-3Big South
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC Asheville | 25 | 25 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 2 |
| Gardner-Webb | 21 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
UNC Asheville Falls in Five-Set Battle at Gardner-Webb
10.17.2026 | Women's Volleyball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The UNC Asheville volleyball team battled through five sets against Gardner-Webb on Saturday (Oct. 17), but ultimately fell to the Runnin' Bulldogs, 3-2 (25-21, 25-20, 21-25, 16-25, 11-15), in Big South Conference action at Paul Porter Arena.
Sarah Wadsworth led Asheville offensively with 14 kills and nine digs, while Addie Brookbank followed with 13 kills, 11 digs and two service aces to record a double-double. Albertine van der Goot added 11 kills on an impressive .417 hitting percentage, committing just one attack error on 24 attempts, while adding four blocks.
Cadence Nichols contributed nine kills and a team-high six blocks, while Lydia Pate and Lily Bannister each finished with eight kills and four blocks. Pate hit .375, while Bannister posted a .429 hitting percentage.
Defensively, Izzy Perkins led the Bulldogs with 23 digs, while Olivia Callipo and Elise Jensen paced the offense with 30 and 26 assists, respectively. Jensen also recorded two service aces.
Asheville opened the match strong, taking the first set 25-21 behind a .316 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs carried that momentum into the second frame, hitting .483 with 16 kills and just two attack errors to secure a 25-20 victory and take a commanding 2-0 lead.
Gardner-Webb responded in the third set, edging Asheville 25-21 before taking the fourth frame 25-16 to force a decisive fifth set. The Runnin' Bulldogs completed the comeback with a 15-11 victory in the final frame.
As a team, Asheville finished with 63 kills, 63 digs, 11 blocks and seven service aces while hitting .244 for the match. Gardner-Webb recorded 54 kills, 71 digs and nine blocks while hitting .248.
With the loss, Asheville moves to 14-9 overall and 2-5 in Big South play.
With Saturday's match marking the conclusion of the first half of Big South Conference play, the Bulldogs have seven regular-season conference matches remaining. Asheville returns to action on Friday, Oct. 23, when the Bulldogs travel to High Point to take on the Panthers at 6 p.m.
