Spartanburg, S.C. – After dropping the opening set, USC Upstate won three-straight games, and Morgan Thomas and Mindy Quimby led the Spartans with 10 kills each as Upstate took a 3-1 win over Bethune-Cookman Saturday afternoon. The Spartans won by scores of 19-25, 25-22, 25-22 and 25-16 in their home finale.

Upstate improved to 10-15 overall and a perfect 5-0 this season against schools from the MEAC. The Spartans will be back in action next Friday in an A-Sun showdown at Mercer. Bethune-Cookman fell to 7-21 on the year.

Bethune-Cookman used a late rally in the first set to take the 25-19 win. The frame remained close and was tied at 18-18. However, the Wildcats scored three-straight points to open a 21-18 lead and closed out the half outscoring Upstate, 7-1, to take the set.

Upstate rallied to even the match with a win in the second set. The frame was again close as Upstate held a 15-14 lead. The Spartans, though, used a 4-0 run to take a 19-15 lead and held off Bethune-Cookman for the 25-22 win. Quimby (Keenesburg, Colo.) led the Spartans with four kills.

Upstate again battled to take a 25-22 win in the third set. Bethune-Cookman held a 17-12 lead, but the Spartans rallied with nine-straight points to turn a five-point deficit into a four-point lead, 21-17. The Wildcats got within two, 24-22, but an attack error gave Upstate the win in the set.

The fourth set was not nearly as close as the first three games of the match. Upstate used an 11-1 run midway through the set to open an 18-8 lead and cruised to the nine-point victory, 25-16. The Spartans hit .258 in the set with Cori Harris (Champaign, Ill.) leading the way with five kills.

Thomas (Plantation, Fla.) finished with 10 kills and two blocks, while Quimby added 10 kills and nine digs to lead the Spartans. Emily Sanders (Sullivan, Ill.) totaled 39 assists and 14 digs, while Meagan Healey (St. Louis, Mo.) led the way with 19 digs.

Kaiyana Johnson led the Bethune-Cookman attack with 11 kills and three assisted blocks. Linda Nwabuko and Jessica Wilson each had seven kills, while Jacqueline Woodyear led all players with 23 digs. Kat Agson added seven assisted blocks on the day.