UNC Asheville Box Score (.pdf) | Clemson Box Score (.pdf)
Clemson, S.C. – The USC Upstate volleyball team began its season Friday by going 1-1 on the first day of the Big Orange Bash from Jervey Gym.
Upstate opened the day with a 3-1 (20-25, 27-25, 26-24, 25-19) victory over UNC Asheville before falling to Clemson 3-1 (25-23, 19-25, 12-25, 17-25) in the final match of the day.
The Spartans return to action tomorrow as it competes in two matches during the final day of the Big Orange Bash beginning at 11 a.m. against Troy. Upstate then turns around at 3 p.m. to take on Austin Peay.
Upstate vs. UNC Asheville
The Spartans received double-doubles from Shannon Weiss and Kayla Eversgerd as they fell behind early but rallied to win the match 3-1. Eversgerd finished with 14 kills and 11 digs, while Weiss added 12 kills and 12 digs. Kayla McAvoy poured in a match-high 15 digs and Kaleigh Kelley, playing in her first collegiate match, led all players with 17 digs. Lexi Gober dished out 54 assists.
Upstate fell behind 1-0 in the match as UNC Asheville took the first set 25-20. The Spartans trailed early in the opening set 8-2 sparked by six consecutive points by the Bulldogs. Upstate rallied to a two-point deficit at 18-16 and stayed at that margin for the next several points until McAvoy's service aces made it 19-18. UNC Asheville broke the match open to 23-19 courtesy of a 4-1 run en route to the 25-20 win.
The Spartans answered to take the second set in exciting fashion, 27-25, and even the match at 1-1. Upstate was never behind to start the frame as Weiss and Emily Koelling combined for a block to go ahead 9-5. The Bulldogs rallied to take a 15-12 lead after an attack error by Eversgerd and led midway through the set. The Spartans answered to tie it at 21-21 and held set point, 24-22, on a block from Koelling and Gober. After UNC Asheville evened things at 25-25, Upstate would take the set 27-25 on back-to-back attack errors by UNCA.
The third set played out in similar fashion as the second going into extra points. Neither team led by more than three points the entire way and sat even at 9-9 following an attack error by UNC Asheville's Shelby Erickson. Weiss would give the Spartans a 16-13 cushion after her kill, but the Bulldogs responded to even the score 19-19. Upstate, again, sat on set point at 24-23 on a kill by McAvoy but UNCA sent things into extras with a kill from Diana Enriquez. Eversgerd and McAvoy sealed the set win for the Spartans at 26-24.
Upstate controlled the fourth set en route to a 25-19 victory and a 3-1 triumph in the match. The Spartans were never behind as they posted a .567 hitting percentage as a team. Upstate opened the set with a three-point lead only to see UNC Asheville recover to equal the set at 12-12. From there the Spartans broke the set open and lead 19-13 on a kill from Weiss. Upstate held a six-point lead the remainder of the set and ended it on a service error by the Bulldogs.
Upstate at Clemson
The Spartans split the first eight points of the first set as the score sat tied 4-4 after a kill from Haleigh Hampton. Upstate took the lead for good after McAvoy put it front 5-4 with her kill. The Spartans would take an 11-6 lead following a kill by Koelling and later stretched that to 16-10 courtesy of McAvoy. Clemson rallied to cut the lead to 17-16 and then tied the set twice over the next several points, but Upstate answered each time and held a 24-23 advantage after Eversgerd's kill. Koelling captured the set for the Spartans with a kill, giving Upstate the 25-23 win.
The Tigers evened the match 1-1 after taking the second set 25-19. The Spartans opened the frame on a 6-2 run capped off by Kate Federico's attack error. Clemson came back with a 7-1 run to take a lead it would not relinquish at 9-7. The home team led 17-11 midway through the set and extended it to 23-15 on a combination block by Kristin Faust and Beta Dumanic. The Tigers took the set on Frederico's kill after Upstate had cut it to five.
Clemson would take a 2-1 lead in the match after capturing the third set by a score of 25-12. The Tigers began with a 7-2 run and later became 14-7 following a kill from Karis Watson. The Spartans managed to cut into Clemson's lead at 14-9 on a service ace by Weiss, but could not get any closer as Clemson pushed its lead to 24-10.
Despite falling behind early in the fourth set, Upstate never gave up. Clemson led 6-2 as it compiled four straight points after opening the set equaled at 2-2. The Spartans came back to even the set 8-8 on Dumanic's attack error and stayed within one until the Tigers reeled off five consecutive points to lead 16-10. Clemson carried that lead the remainder of the set and would win 25-17, taking the match 3-1.
Eversgerd finished with nine kills and 11 digs for Upstate, while Gober posted 24 assists.
