Box Score (.pdf)

Lynchburg, Va. – USC Upstate received double-doubles from Kayla Eversgerd, Shannon Weiss and Lexi Gober Friday evening, but it was not enough as the Spartans fell in five sets, 3-2, to UNC Greensboro on day one of the Liberty Invitational from the Vines Center.

The Spartans fall to 2-3 on the season while UNCG improves to 3-1.

Eversgerd led Upstate with 17 kills and was one of five players to finish with double-digit digs as she had 14. Weiss added 11 kills and 19 digs, while Gober tallied 48 assists and 20 digs. Kayla McAvoy also contributed 12 kills, and Kaleigh Kelley recorded a team-high 23 digs. Dominique Arnold contributed a career-high 11 digs.

The Spartans got off to a fast start in the opening set registering the first five points and led 9-2 on Eversgerd's kill. After a kill by UNC Greensboro's Vicky Harley, Upstate went on a 10-2 run to hold its largest lead of the set at 19-5. The Spartans maintained their double-digit late into the set until UNCG rallied to make it 24-20 with a kill from Kelsey Sidney, forcing an Upstate timeout. UNC Greensboro scored the next two points coming out of the timeout, but Eversgerd sealed the 25-22 win with her kill giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the match.

Upstate was held to 10 kills in the second set as UNCG evened the match at 1-1 with a 25-17 victory. McAvoy and Eversgerd put the Spartans ahead 6-3 to open the frame, and held a three-point cushion before UNC Greensboro tied it at 9-9 on a block from Sara Hohman. The two swapped points midway through the set before UNCG broke it open with a 5-1 run to lead 20-16 following an attack error by Gober. Harley and Hohman got UNC Greensboro to set point with four straight kills, and would win on an error by Eversgerd.

UNCG captured set three 25-22, and took a 2-1 lead in the match, despite 17 kills from the Upstate offensive as it hit .318 as a team. Neither squad held a lead larger than three throughout the set with the advantage trading hands a total of ten times. The Spartans picked up the first two points with kills by Gober and Emily Koelling, but UNC Greensboro answered with four consecutive points to lead 4-2. That is when the teams began exchanging the lead, including four times within a span of ten points. UNCG took a three-point lead toward the end, 18-15, only to see Upstate rally to even the score at 20-20. UNC Greensboro finished the set scoring five of the final seven points capped off by a kill from Jessica Brezwyn.

The Spartans equaled the match at 2-2 after taking the fourth set by an identical 25-22 score. The set began with both teams sharing the lead at various points. Through the opening 20 points the score sat tied at 10-10, but Upstate posted a 5-1 run to lead 15-11 on a service ace by Gober. Alexa Lagaly stretched the Spartan lead to 19-15, only to see UNCG fight back to tie the set 21-21 on Gober's service error. Eversgerd and Weiss capped off the set with back-to-back kills sending the match into the fifth, and deciding, set.

After falling behind 2-0 quickly to UNC Greensboro, Upstate came back to take a 4-3 lead after a UNCG attack error. The Spartans stayed within striking distance until, tied 6-6, UNC Greensboro went on a 5-2 run to lead 11-8. Upstate never gave up getting back to a two-point deficit at 13-11, but UNCG held on to win the set 15-12 and match 3-2.

The Spartans will face Murray State at 9 a.m. and Liberty at 2 p.m. tomorrow during the final day of competition at the Liberty Invitational.

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