Bulldogs Fall to Panthers on Saturday

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville volleyball team fell to High Point in straight sets Saturday afternoon inside the Justice Center, 25-19, 25-23 and 25-14.

With the loss, Asheville moves to 13-6 overall and 1-2 in Big South Conference play, while High Point improves to 9-4 overall and remains unbeaten in league action at 3-0.

Addie Brookbank led the Bulldog offense with 10 kills, while Albertine van der Goot followed with six and Sarah Wadsworth added five. Brookbank also recorded a team-high two service aces and added eight digs to her stat line. Cadence Nichols led Asheville at the net with seven total blocks, including one solo block and six block assists. Olivia Philpot paced the Bulldogs defensively with 12 digs, while Olivia Callipo finished with a team-high 14 assists.

High Point opened the afternoon by scoring the first three points of the match, but Asheville battled back and eventually evened the opening frame at 10 following a Panther attack error. High Point answered with a 5-0 run to build a 15-10 advantage. The Bulldogs pulled back within three at 22-19 following a block from Wadsworth and Lydia Pate, but the Panthers scored the final three points to take the opening set, 25-19.

Asheville came out strong in the second set. After the teams traded the first two points, the Bulldogs used a 5-0 run highlighted by a Pate service ace to jump ahead 6-2. Asheville later extended its advantage to 10-4 behind back-to-back blocks from Nichols and Lilia Bannister.

High Point worked its way back into the frame, but the Bulldogs maintained a 20-18 advantage late in the set. The Panthers eventually pulled even at 21 before Wadsworth put Asheville back in front, 22-21. With the score tied at 23, High Point recorded a kill before closing the frame with a block to escape with the 25-23 victory and take a 2-0 match lead.

The Bulldogs and Panthers remained close early in the third, with Asheville trailing just 12-9 before High Point began to pull away. The Panthers used a 6-0 run to stretch their advantage to 18-9 and later pushed the margin to 24-11. Asheville fought off three match points, including a Nichols-Wadsworth block, before High Point closed out the match, 25-14.

As a team, Asheville finished with 28 kills, 37 digs, eight total blocks and four service aces. High Point recorded 38 kills and hit .223 for the match, holding the Bulldogs to a .063 hitting percentage.

The Bulldogs return to the court on Friday, Oct. 9, as they host Presbyterian at 6 p.m. in the Justice Center.