FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katie Parker, kparker@uscupstate.edu
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The USC Upstate volleyball team (2-1) went 1-1 Saturday at the Comfort Inn & Suites Invitational, falling to tournament host UT Chattanooga 3-1 before downing Alcorn State 3-0.
The Spartans dropped the first two sets against the Mocs by duplicate scores of 25-21. Upstate rallied back to take the third set 25-19 before losing a heartbreaking fourth set 32-30 on back-to-back attack errors.
Seniors Mindy Quimby (Keenesburg, Colo.) and Emily Sanders (Sullivan, Ill.) led the Spartans against Chattanooga with a pair of double-doubles. Quimby tallied 17 kills and 16 digs, while Sanders recorded 47 assists and 25 digs. Freshman Kayla Eversgerd (Breese, Ill.) registered her first career double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs.
Sophomore Kayla McAvoy (Boiling Springs, S.C.) helped Upstate's offensive effort with 15 kills, while senior Emily Bingham (St. Petersburg, Fla.) added 10 kills and a team-high six assisted blocks. Junior Morgan Page (Woodstock, Ga.) helped the Spartans defensively with 23 digs.
The Mocs were led by a trio of double-digit hitters as Julimar Alvarado led the charge with 20 kills. Christina Teter added 13 kills, while Kasey Talley posted a double-double of 12 kills and 22 digs. Bridget Camacho paced Chattanooga with 57 assists, while Paula Passmore lived up to her last name with a match-high 41 digs.
In the second match of the day for Upstate, the Spartans made quick work against Alcorn State, rolling over the Lady Braves by scores 25-6, 25-5 and 25-11. As a team, Upstate recorded 12 service aces.
McAvoy led the Spartans with 10 kills, while Quimby and Eversgerd each contributed with nine kills. Bingham added seven kills, two solo blocks and one assisted rejection. Sanders dished out 26 assists, while freshman setter Lexi Gober (Edwardsville, Ill.) handed out seven helpers. Sanders also scooped up 12 digs, while Gober had six. Page led Upstate with 13 digs in the contest.
Alcorn State was led by Jaclyn Kuzniar with 11 digs, while Shaquanda Hollis had nine and Shardeny Young added six digs. Georgia Parsons helped the squad with seven assists and two assisted blocks.
Sanders and McAvoy were named to the Country Inn & Suites Invitational All-Tournament Team for their efforts this weekend.
The Spartans return to action Aug. 31-Sept. 1, when they travel to Charleston, S.C., for the Charleston Southern Tournament.
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