Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate volleyball team opened A-Sun play Saturday afternoon with a 3-2 (25-18, 23-25, 19-25, 25-23, 15-17) defeat to the Kennesaw State Owls inside the Hodge Center.

Upstate falls to 9-7 overall while Kennesaw State improves to 7-8.

Kayla Eversgerd and Lexi Gober each recorded double-doubles for the Spartans. Eversgerd poured in a team-high 16 kills to go with 14 digs, while Gober contributed 50 assists and 14 digs. Shannon Weiss and Kayla McAvoy added 14 and 12 kills, respectively, and Rebecca Shearer collected a career-high 14 digs. Kaleigh Kelley also had 10 digs.

Kelly Marcinek led all players for the Owls with 24 kills, while Kristi Piedimonte had a double-double on 57 assists and 12 digs. Katarina Morton compiled 30 digs, and Anaiah Boyer and Ria Ridley posted 14 and 13 kills each.

Upstate used a late run to take the opening set 25-18. Kennesaw State began the match scoring five of the first seven points and led 5-2 on a service ace by Toure Hopkins. The Spartans rallied to take the lead 11-6 courtesy of a 9-1 run capped off by Eversgerd's kill. The Owls would fight back to even the set 12-12, but Upstate picked up the next four points on three KSU errors and a kill by Emily Koelling. Kennesaw State got to within two, 16-14, only to see the Spartans stretch their lead to 19-14 with Weiss and Koelling teaming up for three straight kills. Two more KSU errors and Weiss' kill made the score 22-14, and Upstate would cruise from there as Boyer's attack error gave the Spartans the set win.

Kennesaw State rallied late in set two to win 25-23 and even the match at 1-1. The teams split the first 10 points of the set as Alex Huber's service error made the score 5-5. A service error by Fanise Cannon pushed Upstate's advantage to 12-9, and would keep the three-point lead several plays later off a kill from Alexa Lagaly. The Owls came back to tie the score at 14-14 on Huber's service ace, and the teams would trade the lead several times midway through the set. After Boyer gave KSU a 22-20 advantage, the Spartans reeled off three consecutive points to lead 23-22 after back-to-back errors by Ridley. Kennesaw State came out of a timeout to score the following three points to win the set by two.

The third set began in similar fashion as the second consisting of four lead changes within the first 20 points. Eversgerd gave Upstate an 8-7 lead with her kill, but the Owls followed with a 5-1 run as Marcinek picked up two kills. Kennesaw State later extended its lead to 16-11 after an attack error by Weiss. The Spartans cut their deficit to four, but KSU broke the set open with six points in a row to lead 23-13. Upstate trimmed the lead down to six, 24-18, after scoring five of the next six points. Chade Martin gave Kennesaw State the set victory with her kill.

The Spartans responded by winning the fourth set 25-23, sending the match into a fifth, and deciding, set. The Owls held the lead by as many as four to start the frame with an Eversgerd attack error giving them a 12-8 cushion. Upstate slowly chipped away at the lead as Weiss made it 18-17 with her kill. An attack error by Megan McGuinness completed the Spartan comeback giving them a 22-21 lead. Upstate held on late and won the set after Martin's attack error.

Kennesaw State raced out to a 6-2 lead to start the fifth set with Boyer completing a run of four straight points. The Spartans didn't give up and would take a 9-7 lead on a kill by McAvoy. Eversgerd kept Upstate ahead 12-10 on a kill, but the Owls responded with three points in a row and took the lead back at 13-12. The Spartans exchanged the next six points with Kennesaw State, but still trailed 16-15. The Owls won the set, and match, the next play on an Upstate attack error.

Upstate travels to Rock Hill, S.C. Tuesday evening as it takes on Winthrop at 7 p.m. from the Winthrop Coliseum.

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