Nov. 22, 2008
Final Stats
Provisional Invitational Tournament Central
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - For the first time since the opening of the 1999 season, the USC Upstate volleyball team played three matches in one day, with the Spartans wrapping up their 2008 season with two wins in three matches to finish in third place at the Mr. Gatti's Provisional Invitational at the Hodge Center on Saturday. The Spartans defeated N.C. Central, 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-14), in the quarterfinals before Presbyterian defeated Upstate, 3-1 (25-15, 25-17, 18-25, 25-21) in the semifinals. Upstate came back to defeat North Florida, 3-1 (27-25, 25-22, 21-25, 25-19), in the third-place match.
Central Arkansas earned the Provisional Invitational title with a 3-0 win over Presbyterian in the championship. The Sugar Bears' Chloe Smith earned the Tournament MVP award. Upstate earned two nods on the all-tournament team, with senior Jovana Lubura (Belgrade, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute) and freshman Morgan Thomas (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) each were placed on the team. Lubura averaged 4.06 kills per set and hit a solid .329 with 1.88 digs per set during Upstate's five matches and Thomas notched 2.71 kills and 1.06 blocks per set. She hit .352 in the tournament.
The Spartans (11-23 overall) started the tournament portion of the Provisional Invitational on Saturday with a historic win over N.C. Central in the quarterfinals, as the program won its 300th match on the floor of the Hodge Center.
Lubura led the Spartans with 18 kills and senior Holly Mauldin (Columbia, S.C./Irmo) added 24 assists and 11 digs to lead the Spartans. Thomas posted five kills and four blocks and senior Jenna Leslie (Houston, Texas/Westfield) added six kills and six digs. Sophomore Megan Healey (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy) added 10 digs.
In the first set, the Spartans used a 4-1 run to close it out after the set was tied at 21, led by two kills from Lubura. In the second set, the Spartans built a 17-6 lead after three straight points off the serve of Leslie. Lubura posted three kills from there to close out the set. Upstate closed the match with another strong set, as it extended a 12-7 lead to 20-10 after kills from Leslie, Lubura and freshman Kelsie Queen (Blythewood, S.C./Ridge View). From there, Upstate was able to close out the set, 25-14.
The Eagles (7-28 overall) were led by Ashley Shade's 20 assists and nine digs and Shaina Pryor's nine kills. Avaniki Campbell notched 10 kills and six digs and both Rachel Lloyd and Kristan Fields each had eight digs.
In the semifinals, Presbyterian (13-21 overall) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on the strength of an 18-kill match from Amanda Kettles, 16 kills from Kelsey McKee and 14 from Lisa Shelley. Rachel Lewis added 49 assists for the Blue Hose.
Upstate was led by 15 kills and seven digs from Lubura and 11 kills from sophomore Sandra Campbell (Orlando, Fla./Pilot Point (Texas)). Mauldin added her second double-double on the day with 29 assists and 10 digs and Thomas posted five kills and five blocks. Leslie notched eight kills and four blocks and Queen had seven kills. Healey notched 17 digs and junior Karla Andree (Cypress, Calif./Cypress C.C.) added eight digs.
The Spartans broke a 6-6 tie after a kill from Campbell and went on a 10-2 run to take control of the set. Campbell had five of her kills during the run. From there, the Blue Hose couldn't get closer than four points at 22-18 before Thomas posted a kill and Mauldin had a service ace to help close out the set. The Blue Hose broke a 19-19 tie in the fourth set with a 6-2 run to close out the match.
Upstate came back in the third-place match, though to defeat one of its old Peach Belt nemesis in North Florida, 3-1. The win broke a 24-match losing streak to the Lady Ospreys that went back to the 1994 season when head coach Jennifer Calloway was still in uniform with the then-Lady Rifles.
The Spartans were led by a career-high 19 kills and three blocks from Thomas and Lubura notched 13 kills and 12 digs. Leslie posted a season-high 13 digs and Healey also added 15 digs. Mauldin posted a career-high 43 assists in her final match and added six digs. Queen notched 13 kills and Campbell posted seven kills and a block.
It took three match points before a Thomas kill lifted the Spartans to a 27-25 win in the first set. In the second set, the Ospreys took a 21-20 lead before kills from Lubura and Thomas gave the Spartans control and a Thomas kill finished off a 25-22 Spartan win. After the Ospreys won the third set, Upstate used a 10-5 run to close out the season after the Ospreys closed within a point at 15-14. Leslie finished off the set and her career with a set-clinching kill on a set from fellow senior Mauldin, giving Upstate the 25-19 win.
The Lady Ospreys (13-19 overall) were led by 20 kills and 17 digs from Kaley Read and 10 kills and six blocks from Agata Dawidowicz. Marshay Greenlee notched 10 kills and Bary Rasmussen added 10 kills, seven digs and four blocks. Chelsea Rabe notched 10 digs and Julie Fye added 48 assists and 11 digs.
The Spartans finished the season with an 11-23 overall record. Upstate players Campbell and Mauldin each earned Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week honors and head coach Jennifer Calloway became the youngest coach in NCAA Division I with 250 career wins when she reached the mark in September.
