University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
3-1,0-0Big South
Elon
1-3,0-0CAA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elon | 26 | 25 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 2 |
| UNC Asheville | 24 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
Bulldogs Rally Past Elon for Reverse Sweep Victory
09.01.2026 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – After dropping the first two sets Tuesday night, UNC Asheville volleyball stormed back to win three straight frames and complete a reverse sweep of Elon, 3-2, inside the Justice Center.
The Bulldogs fell 26-24 and 25-20 in the opening two sets before completely changing the momentum of the match. Asheville responded with victories of 25-16, 25-12 and 15-8 to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Tuesday's victory marked Asheville's first reverse sweep since Nov. 10, 2018, when the Bulldogs also erased a 2-0 deficit against Radford.
With the win, Asheville is off to its best four-match start since 2023, when the Bulldogs also opened the season with a 3-1 record.
TURNING POINT
With their backs against the wall entering the third set, the Bulldogs delivered their strongest offensive performance of the night.
Asheville recorded 15 kills without committing an attack error on 31 attempts for a .484 hitting percentage in the frame. The Bulldogs began creating separation after the teams were tied at eight, using a 7-1 stretch, sparked by a kill from Sarah Wadsworth, to move ahead 15-9. Asheville never allowed Elon back within striking distance and eventually closed the set with a 25-16 victory.
The momentum carried directly into the fourth.
After Elon scored the opening point, Asheville rattled off four straight to take control. Wadsworth helped fuel the early surge with a pair of service aces as the Bulldogs quickly built a 5-1 advantage.
Asheville continued to pull away, stretching its lead to 14-6 before another four-point run pushed the advantage to 18-7. The Bulldogs never looked back, cruising to a 25-12 victory to force a deciding fifth set.
With the match on the line, Asheville wasted little time taking command.
The Bulldogs scored the first four points of the fifth, receiving kills from Albertine van der Goot and Wadsworth before an Elon attack error and an Elise Jensen service ace made the score 4-0.
Elon cut the deficit to 7-5, but Asheville responded with three consecutive points to restore a five-point advantage. After the Phoenix made one final push to get within 10-7, the Bulldogs closed the match by scoring five of the final six points. Lydia Pate delivered two kills during the closing stretch before combining with van der Goot for the match-winning block to seal the 15-8 victory.
Asheville finished the night with 60 kills and a .265 attack percentage while holding Elon to just 39 kills and a .076 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs also recorded 11 service aces, 58 digs and nine total blocks.
Wadsworth paced the Bulldogs with 14 kills while hitting .282 and added 12 digs for a double-double. She also finished with three service aces and 18.5 points. Pate followed with 12 kills on 23 attempts, hitting .435, while adding six block assists and finishing with 16 points.
Cadence Nichols turned in an efficient performance in the middle, recording 11 kills without an attack error on 17 swings for a .647 hitting percentage. Addie Brookbank also reached double figures with 11 kills and added nine digs.
Jensen directed the Asheville offense with 36 assists while adding five digs and two service aces, while Izzy Perkins led the Bulldogs defensively with 13 digs.
The Bulldogs return to action this weekend, Sept. 4-6, for three matches in the Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic at Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville.
Asheville opens the tournament on Friday at 1 p.m. against Bellarmine before facing Seton Hall on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs will close out the weekend on Sunday at 11 a.m. against Jacksonville State.
