Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – Madison Haake recorded her fifth triple-double of the season Saturday afternoon, but it was not enough as the USC Upstate volleyball team was unable to hold off the Kennesaw State Owls falling by a score of 3-2 (16-25, 25-18, 25-20, 21-25, 12-15) in its Dig Pink Match inside the Hodge Center.

Upstate falls to 13-11 on the season and 1-7 in conference play, while Kennesaw State improved to 13-6 overall and 5-3 in the league.

Haake finished the match with 13 kills, 21 assists and set a new career-high in digs with 20. She was one of three players to record double-digit kills led by Emily Koelling with 14. Morgan Deaville also eclipsed a new career-high in digs as the freshman tallied 10 coming off the bench. Kaleigh Kelley tied Haake for the team-lead in digs while Lexi Gober added 24 assists.

Sydni Shelton had a match-high 20 kills for the Owls and Katarina Morton posted 28 digs. Kristi Piedimonte dished out 46 assists.

Upstate traded the first 18 points of the first set with Kennesaw State and were tied 9-9 after back-to-back kills by Shelton. The Owls used an 11-5 run to break the set open and take a 20-14 lead on Karla Radillo's service ace. Kennesaw State scored the final two points to win the first set 25-16 capped by Piedimonte's service ace.

The Spartans answered to win the second set 25-18 and even the match at 1-1. Upstate held an early 8-6 lead over the Owls behind a kill by Callie Yeargin. Upstate benefitted from an 8-5 run to increase its lead out to 16-11 on Anaiah Boyer's attack error.  Kennesaw State trimmed its deficit to 20-17 after an attack error by Kayla Eversgerd, but the Spartans held off the charge to win the frame by seven on Morton's attack error.

Upstate trailed 9-7 early in the third set to the Owls, but answered with three of the next four points to go in front 11-10 as Haake, Eversgerd and Koelling each had kills. The teams exchanged points for the next 10 plays before the Spartans took a 17-15 lead after an attack error by Shelton. After Shelton's service ace cut Upstate's lead to 21-20 late, the Spartans scored the final four points to win 25-20 and take a 2-1 lead in the match. Eversgerd and Yeargin both had kills over the final four points.

Upstate opened the fourth set by taking nine of the first 12 points to lead 9-3 on a bad set by Piedimonte. KSU managed to take the lead back at 14-13 courtesy of a 10-3 run. The Spartans stayed within two most of the way before the Owls recorded the 25-21 win on Shelton's kill sending the match to a fifth set. Upstate got as close as 23-20 before that on two straight kills by Yeargin.

The Spartans took the opening three points of the fifth set after Yeargin began things with a kill and KSU had back-to-back errors. The score sat tied four times after that until Haake gave Upstate a 12-11 lead with her kill. Kennesaw State took the final four points to win the set 15-12 and take the match 3-2.

The Spartans continue their home swing next weekend (Oct. 30-31) as they host Lipscomb and NJIT.

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