Oct. 20, 2009

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Junior Megan Healey (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy) became the eighth player in school history to record 1,000 career digs with her first dig of the third set and the two-time captain finished with a team-high 14 digs, but it wasn't enough to get the USC Upstate volleyball team past Gardner-Webb, who posted a 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-12) win, at Porter Arena in non-conference action on Tuesday night.

Sophomore Kelsie Queen (Blythewood, S.C./Ridge View) posted a team-high 11 kills to go with nine digs and freshman Mindy Quimby (Keenesburg, Colo./Weld Central) added nine kills and five digs to lead Upstate (6-16 overall). Senior Morgan Bucciferro (Joliet, Ill./Minooka Community) added 18 assists and three digs and freshman Emily Sanders (Sullivan, Ill./Sullivan) added 18 assists and nine digs.

The Spartans fell behind in the second set, 6-3, but were able to take advantage of 17 errors by the Lady Bulldogs (10-15 overall). The Spartans, meanwhile, capitalized on their chances, with only four errors of their own in the set, helping them on a 15-5 run midway through the set that gave them an 18-11 lead. During the run, junior Erin Jacobsen (Virginia, Minn./Iowa Lakes C.C.) posted a kill and an ace to lead the Spartans. The Lady Bulldogs closed within four points at 21-17, but Upstate closed out the set with an ace by Weiland to take it 25-18.

In the second set, it was Upstate's errors that helped Gardner-Webb, as the team made 14 errors in the set while the Bulldogs made 10, more than making up the difference in the 25-23 final. Upstate , at one point down 12-8, scored five straight points off the serve of Queen, as Quimby posted two kills during the run and Queen added an ace and a kill, to take a 17-14 lead. The Lady Bulldogs fought back, tying the match at 17 and after Upstate took a 23-22 lead, kills by Melissa Richie, Molly Rhyne and Laura Wilcox ended the set in Gardner-Webb's favor.

Both teams played crisply in the third set, with both teams hitting over .300 in the set, but the Gardner-Webb combination of Wilcox and Evan Moffitt, who combined for 13 kills in the set, were too much for Upstate. The Spartans took a 3-1 lead, but Wilcox served for five straight points, with Moffitt providing three straight kills to take an 8-4 lead. Upstate closed within two points five times, the last at 22-20, but could get no closer, as the Lady Bulldogs held on for the 25-20 win.

In the fourth set, Gardner-Webb took a 10-4 lead after Wilcox posted five points on her serve. The Spartans came within three points at 14-11, but thanks to 10 straight Gardner-Webb points, the Lady Bulldogs were able to post the 25-12 win.

Wilcox led the Bulldogs with 19 kills, three aces and two blocks, while Moffitt added 13 kills and a match-high 21 digs and Rhyne added 10 kills and nine digs. Richie posted eight kills and 16 digs and Regina Feagin added 48 assists. Brett Wilson also added 13 digs.

The Spartans get back on the court on Friday when they return to the Hodge Center for a 7 p.m. Atlantic Sun Conference match with North Florida.