Upstate Falls to ETSU on the Road, 3-0
10/25/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Johnson City, Tenn. – The USC Upstate volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision on the road Friday evening to the East Tennessee State Buccaneers in A-Sun action at Brooks Gymnasium.
East Tennessee State won the match by scores of 25-21, 25-18 and 25-22.
Kayla Eversgerd notched her team-leading 11th double-double of the season with a team-high 12 kills and 13 digs. Emily Koelling tallied her third double-digit kill performance in the last four matches with 10. Lexi Gober contributed 28 assists.
The Buccaneers jumped out to a quick start in the first set going ahead 8-2 following Eversgerd's attack error. Upstate answered back with an 8-2 run to tie the frame at 10-10 after an attack error by ETSU's Bethany Gesell. The Spartans stayed within a two-point deficit over the next several points, forcing an East Tennessee State timeout after Eversgerd made it 17-15 on her kill. The Buccaneers came out of the timeout and increased their lead to 20-15 on back-to-back service aces by Meredith Hardy. Upstate fought back to make it 22-21, but ETSU scored the sets final three points to win by a score of 25-21.
East Tennessee State captured the second set 25-18. The Buccaneers registered eight of the sets first 12 points to take an 8-4 lead after consecutive Upstate attack errors. The Spartans trimmed ETSU's advantage to three, 10-7, on Gober's service ace. ETSU responded with an 8-3 run to increase its lead to 18-10 on Megan Devine's kill. East Tennessee State widened the lead to 23-14 and went on for the seven-point set victory.
The third set went down to the wire as it featured a total of seven ties. The Buccaneers won the set, and match, with a 25-22 score. The opening stages of the set would be a highlight of things to come as the two teams split the first 14 points. Upstate took an 8-7 lead on Alexa Lagaly's kill. ETSU re-gained the lead at 9-8 and then went on a 6-3 run to go ahead 15-11. The Spartans stayed within striking distance and trailed by one at 19-18 after Lagaly's kill. Simmie Bray's service error gave East Tennessee State a 23-20 lead, but a service and attack error cut Upstate's deficit to 23-22. The Buccaneers recorded the final two points of the set to pick up the match win.
Hardy led all Buccaneer players with a match-high 14 kills, while Devine recorded a double-double on 13 kills and 15 digs.
The Spartans wrap up the non-conference portion of their schedule Tuesday, Oct. 29 as they host the Presbyterian College Blue Hose at 7 p.m.
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