FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katie Parker, kparker@uscupstate.edu
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The USC Upstate volleyball team (2-4) dropped decisions to Furman and Canisius Saturday at the final day of the Willie Jewell's Volleyball Invitational hosted by Charleston Southern as senior Emily Bingham (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was named to the All-Tournament Team.
The Spartans fell to Furman 25-17, 25-20 and 25-18 in their first match of the day. Bingham led Upstate offensively against the Paladins, recording 12 kills, one service ace and one solo block. Senior Emily Sanders (Sullivan, Ill.) helped the Spartans' efforts, handing out 24 assists and scooping up nine digs. The setter also had four kills.
Junior Morgan Page (Woodstock, Ga.) recorded a match-high 14 digs for Upstate, while freshman Lexi Gober (Edwardsville, Ill.) contributed with seven digs. Sophomore Kayla McAvoy (Boiling Springs, S.C.) was second on the Spartan squad with six kills and also helped with five digs.
Furman was led by Chandler Ambrester with 11 kills and seven digs, while Natalie Braun was second on the squad with nine kills and a team-high 12 digs. Jo Wilks dished out a match-high 39 assists, while collecting eight digs.
In the Spartans' second match of the day, Upstate dropped a 3-1 decision to Canisius by scores of 27-25, 25-21, 21-25 and 25-18. McAvoy led the Spartans, recording her second-career double-double with 16 kills and 11digs. She recorded a match-high six total blocks with five assisted denials and one solo rejection, while tallying two service aces.
Bingham was second on the Upstate squad with 15 kills and had nine digs, while Sanders registered her fourth double-double of the season with 42 assists and 15 digs. Sanders also had six kills in the contest. Senior Mindy Quimby (Keenesburg, Colo.) posted 11 kills to go along with eight digs and two service aces.
Page led the Spartans defensively again with 19 digs, while Gober collected a career-high 15 digs. Freshman Shannon Weiss (Highland, Ill.) helped with seven digs and six kills.
Canisius was led by Olivia Chrzanowski and Samantha Good with 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Sydney Palka recorded a double-double of 38 assists and 10 digs, while Allyson Severyn collected a match-high 20 digs for the Golden Griffins. Jessica Warner and Emily Elek helped with 14 and 11 digs, respectively.
In three matches at the Willie Jewell's Volleyball Invitational, Bingham paced the Spartans with 42 kills, averaging 3.50 kills per set. She also led the team in hitting percentage with a .275 mark. She added five assists on the weekend and 11 digs, while playing in very set for Upstate during the tournament.
The Spartans return to action Tuesday, Sept. 11, hosting UNC Asheville for Upstate's home-opener at 7 p.m.
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