University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
14-6,2-2Big South
Presbyterian
7-11,1-3Big South
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presbyterian | 20 | 14 | 25 | 19 | 1 |
| UNC Asheville | 25 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 3 |
UNC Asheville Volleyball Takes Down Presbyterian in Four Sets Friday Night
10.09.2026 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville volleyball team returned to the win column Friday evening, defeating Presbyterian College in four sets (25-20, 25-14, 20-25, 25-19) inside the Justice Center.
With the victory, the Bulldogs improved to 14-6 overall and 2-2 in Big South Conference play, while Presbyterian fell to 7-11 overall and 1-3 in conference action.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNC Asheville opened the match with a 25-20 victory in the first set. After a back-and-forth start, the Bulldogs began to create separation behind a balanced offensive attack. With the score tied at 7-7, a kill from Lydia Pate gave Asheville the lead, and the Bulldogs never trailed again. Asheville recorded 16 kills in the opening frame while holding Presbyterian to a .077 hitting percentage to take an early 1-0 advantage.
The Bulldogs carried that momentum into the second set, jumping out to a 10-4 lead before Presbyterian battled back to cut the deficit to two at 12-10. Following an Asheville timeout, the Bulldogs responded with an 11-1 run to take control of the set. A kill from Sarah Wadsworth and back-to-back service aces from Olivia Philpot helped swing the momentum back in Asheville's favor as the Bulldogs cruised to a 25-14 victory. Asheville held the Blue Hose to a .000 hitting percentage while recording 13 kills, including seven from Wadsworth, to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
Presbyterian responded in the third set, using an early 5-0 run to take the lead and never looking back. Asheville battled to cut the deficit to two late in the frame, but back-to-back Bulldog attack errors helped the Blue Hose secure a 25-20 victory and force a fourth set.
The Bulldogs answered in a tightly contested fourth set that featured 11 ties and seven lead changes. With the score knotted at 18, a Presbyterian attack error followed by a solo block from Lydia Pate gave Asheville a 20-18 advantage and forced a Blue Hose timeout. Pate delivered a kill out of the break before Presbyterian recorded its final point of the match. Asheville closed out the frame with four consecutive points to secure a 25-19 victory and the four-set win.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Sarah Wadsworth led the Bulldogs offensively with a match-high 17 kills while adding eight digs. Addie Brookbank followed with an impressive all-around performance, recording 16 kills on a .406 hitting percentage, 14 digs and four block assists.
Albertine van der Goot added 10 kills and six block assists, while Lydia Pate contributed five kills on a .400 hitting percentage, six total blocks and one service ace. Cadence Nichols also played a key role at the net, finishing with six block assists.
Olivia Philpot had a career-high night as she anchored Asheville's back row with a match-high 19 digs and five service aces, while adding seven assists.
Olivia Callipo paced the Bulldogs with 29 assists and added 11 digs and two service aces. Elise Jensen contributed 17 assists, eight digs and two service aces.
As a team, UNC Asheville finished with 55 kills, a .248 hitting percentage, 65 digs, 12 blocks and 10 service aces. The Bulldogs held Presbyterian to a .112 hitting percentage while outblocking the Blue Hose 12-7.
Asheville is back in action tomorrow at 4 p.m. in the Justice Center as the Bulldogs host Charleston Southern. Senior Day festivities will begin prior to the match.
