University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
12-4,0-0Big South
Queens (N.C.)
4-9,0-0ASUN
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queens (NC) | 26 | 27 | 20 | 25 | 3 |
| UNC Asheville | 24 | 25 | 25 | 16 | 1 |
Bulldogs Fall to Queens in Final Nonconference Match
09.22.2026 | Women's Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville volleyball team closed out nonconference play Tuesday evening, falling to Queens (N.C.) in four sets (24-26, 25-27, 25-20, 16-25) inside the Justice Center.
The opening set was tightly contested from start to finish, featuring 16 ties and six lead changes. After Queens jumped ahead 4-1, Asheville battled back and the two sides remained within striking distance of one another throughout the frame. The Bulldogs held a 23-21 advantage late following a kill from Maddie Connelly, but the Royals responded with three consecutive points to earn set point. Lilia Bannister kept Asheville alive with a kill to even the score at 24 before Queens scored the final two points to take the opening set, 26-24.
Asheville came out strong in the second frame, building an early 6-2 advantage with early sparks from Lydia Pate, Albertine van der Goot and Cadence Nichols. The Bulldogs later stretched their lead to 13-9 before Queens battled back, eventually using a six-point run to move ahead 19-16. Asheville refused to go away and fought off set point with kills from Nichols, Bannister and Sarah Wadsworth to even the frame at 25. Queens answered with the final two points, however, taking the set 27-25 and a 2-0 match lead.
Facing a must-win third set, Asheville responded. The Bulldogs raced out to a 9-3 advantage before Queens answered with an eight-point stretch to take an 11-9 lead. Asheville regrouped and the teams traded points before the Bulldogs regained control late. With the score tied at 18, Asheville was able to pull ahead following kills from van der Goot and Connelly, along with an Elise Jensen service ace. Asheville closed out the frame with a Bannister kill and a Pate/Bannister block to earn the 25-20 victory and extend the match.
Queens took control early in the fourth set, breaking a 4-4 tie with a four-point run before extending its advantage to 16-8. The Bulldogs attempted to battle back, with Wadsworth recording two late kills, but the deficit proved too much to overcome as the Royals secured the match with a 25-16 victory.
Wadsworth led Asheville offensively with 12 kills while adding 15 digs for a double-double. Van der Goot followed with 10 kills on a .310 hitting percentage and added four blocks, while Nichols finished with nine kills and four blocks. Pate turned in an efficient performance with seven kills and just one error on 16 attempts for a team-high .375 hitting percentage, while adding two service aces and four blocks. Connelly had a career-high eight kills and added an ace.
Olivia Callipo led the Bulldogs with 22 assists and a career-high 13 digs, while Jensen finished with 15 assists, nine digs and two aces. Asheville finished the match with 53 kills, 65 digs and eight total blocks while hitting .197 as a team.
Despite the loss, Asheville closes nonconference play with the most wins in the country at 12.
The Bulldogs (12-4), will begin league play on Friday, Sept. 25, as they travel to USC Upstate for a 6 p.m. matchup.
