Oct. 5, 2008

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Senior Jovana Lubura (Belgrade, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute) posted 13 kills and a career-high 19 digs, but it wasn't enough to overcome a Mercer squad that hit .307 in the match, as the USC Upstate volleyball team fell to the Bears on Adopt-A-Student Appreciation Night, 3-1 (25-23, 25-13, 24-26, 25-18), on Sunday in Atlantic Sun Conference action at the Hodge Center.

The double-double was the second of the season for Lubura and the third of her career. The Spartans (6-11 overall, 3-6 A-Sun) also got double-digit kill performances from sophomore Sandra Campbell (Orlando, Fla./Pilot Point (Texas)), who posted 12 kills, three digs and four blocks, and freshman Morgan Thomas (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas), who posted 10 kills and four blocks. Freshman Kelsie Queen (Blythewood, S.C./Ridge View) added five kills and two blocks and senior Tijana Knezevic (Indija, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute) added three kills and two blocks.

In the back row, Upstate notched 58 digs, with both freshman Jane Hawryliw (North Battleford, Sasketchewan/North Battleford) and sophomore Megan Healey (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy) posting 11 digs. Senior Holly Mauldin (Columbia, S.C./Irmo) added 28 assists and eight digs.

After falling behind 9-2 in the third set, Upstate had an uphill battle to fight, but after falling down 19-12, the Spartan offense ignited. Kills by Lubura, Knewzevic and Campbell cut the lead to 19-15 before a block by Campbell and Knezevic forced a Mercer timeout. After a Bears kill, Campbell notched a kill and two attack errors by the Bears tied the set. The Bears retook a two-point lead at 23-21, but a ball handling error and a kill by Thomas retied the set at 23. The teams traded sideouts before a block by Queen and Thomas gave Upstate a 25-24 lead. A Bear attack error sent the match into the fourth set.

The Bears took another large, 7-3 lead in the fourth set, but Upstate, thanks to two kills from Lubura and one from Thomas tied the set at eight. Then a 6-1 Bears run helped Mercer take control of the set, never letting Upstate back within five en route to the 25-18 fourth set win.

The Spartans jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first set thanks to three kills from Thomas. However, the Bears (10-6 overall, 5-3 A-Sun) fought back with a 13-9 run to draw within one point. After the teams traded sideouts, kills by Chelsea Gebben and Amiee Frutchey gave the Bears a 19-18 lead. The teams again traded sideouts until a kill by Libby Hansch gave the Bears a 23-21 lead. Sideouts helped close the set, 25-23 in Mercer's favor. A 12-3 run to open the second set propelled the Bears to the 25-13 win, as Upstate could get no closer than eight after the opening Bears' run.

Karen Dorris led the Bears with 25 kills, five assists and 18 digs. Aimee Frutchey also added a double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs and Krista Hurley posted 10 kills and five digs. Claire Tucker posted a match-high 20 digs and Kelly Jansen added a match-high 31 assists to go with 12 digs. Libby Hansch added eight kills and a match-high five blocks.

Upstate gets back into action as it wraps up its first time through the Atlantic Sun Conference when it travels to Campbell for a 3 p.m. Thursday matchup in Buies Creek, N.C.