Sept. 26, 2008

Final Stats

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Senior Holly Mauldin (Columbia, S.C./Irmo) offered 20 assists to move just five helpers away from becoming the seventh player in school history to reach 1,500 career assists, but the USC Upstate volleyball team fell, 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-15) to defending Atlantic Sun Conference champions Florida Gulf Coast, in conference action at Alico Arena on Friday night.

Mauldin posted 20 assists and four digs to lead the team, which also got six-kill matches from sophomore Sandra Campbell (Orlando, Fla./Pilot Point (Texas)) and freshman Morgan Thomas (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas). Thomas also added two kills and sophomore Megan Healey (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy) added a team-high nine digs and two service aces. Freshman Kelsie Queen (Blythewood, S.C./Ridge View) added five kills.

Upstate (4-10 overall, 1-5 A-Sun) jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the final set, using two kills from Queen and one from senior Jenna Leslie (Houston, Texas/Westfield), but the Eagles (5-5 overall, 5-0 A-Sun) went on a 6-0 run to take a 7-6 and after a Spartan point, scored eight straight to take a 15-7 lead en route to the 25-15 win to clinch the match.

The Spartans were able to battle the Eagles early in the first set. After falling behind 8-5, the Spartans scored four straight points thanks to two kills from senior Jovana Lubura (Belgrade, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute) and one from Thomas to go along with a service ace. However, from there, the Eagles were able to go on a 14-7 run to help them en route to a 25-17 win.

In the second set, the Eagles took a 6-4 lead before the Spartans fought back to take an 8-7 lead after a service ace from Healey and a block from Leslie and Campbell. The Eagles once again used a run, though to take a 14-10 lead, but Upstate responded by closing within two at 18-16 after a service ace from freshman Jane Hawryliw (North Battleford, Sasketchewan/North Battleford). That was as close as the Spartans could get though, as Cheyenne Jenks posted four kills in a 7-1 Eagle run to end the set.

FGCU hit a lights-out .451 in the match, committing just eight hitting errors in 82 attempts. Ana Kokanovic led the Eagles with 12 kills while Jenks added 10. Roberta Santos added 33 assists and Ashley Yance posted four blocks. Holly Youngquist added 11 digs.

The Spartans will wrap up their Floridian swing on Saturday as they travel to Stetson for a 3 p.m. Atlantic Sun Conference match.