Southeast Missouri State Box Score (.pdf)
Gardner-Webb Box Score (.pdf)
Boiling Springs, N.C. – The USC Upstate volleyball team has now won seven matches in a row to begin the season following a pair of 3-1 victories on Saturday over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks and Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs to win the AmericInn Runnin' Bulldog Classic.
Upstate improves to 7-0 on the season and captures its second straight tournament title after opening the year by winning the Charlotte Invitational.
Lexi Gober was named the Most Valuable Player of the AmericInn Runnin' Bulldog Classic and was one of three Spartans to be named to the All-Tournament Team. Gober was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Emily Koelling and Madison Haake.
Upstate remains on the road Tuesday evening when it travels to Orangeburg, S.C. to face South Carolina State at 6 p.m.
Match 1 – Upstate vs. Southeast Missouri State
Haake and Gober both had double-doubles, while Shannon Weiss set a new career-high in digs, as Upstate rallied for the second straight match to defeat Southeast Missouri State 3-1 (25-27, 25-20, 25-21, 25-23).
Gober recorded her third double-double of the season after finishing with 42 assists and 16 digs, and Haake contributed 13 kills and 14 digs for her third double-double. Haake fell just two assists shy of a triple-double as she finished with eight to go with four service aces. Weiss collected 25 digs during the match, surpassing her old mark of 21 against Liberty last season. Koelling fell just one kill shy of tying her career-high after finishing with a match-high 16.
Katarina Rotta and Krissa Gearring each concluded the match with double-doubles for the Redhawks. Rotta had 36 assists and 10 digs, and Gearring posted a team-high 11 kills and 16 digs. Jade Mortimer collected 23 digs and Nzingha Clarke 10 kills.
The Spartans fell behind quickly in the first set with Southeast Missouri State capturing four of the first five points to lead 4-1 on Marie Less' service ace. The Redhawks extended their lead to 12-7 midway through the set following Callie Yeargin's attack error. Upstate was able to trim their deficit to three several times but could not get any closer until the later stages. Koelling and Rebecca Shearer teamed up for three straight kills to put the Spartans within one at 23-22. Southeast Missouri State held off the late charge for a 25-23 win.
The teams exchanged the first 24 points of the second set with the lead changing hands several times. Neither team led by more than one during the middle stages of the set until the Redhawks went in front 19-17 after a bad set by Gober. Upstate took charge after that scoring the set's final eight points to win 25-19 and evening the match at 1-1. Koelling and Yeargin combined for four kills over the final eight points.
The Spartans controlled the entire third set starting with a 9-3 advantage to begin the frame. Upstate led by as many as eight in the set with the last coming at 18-10 on a service error by Haley Roberts. Southeast Missouri State made a late charge and cut the Spartan lead to 20-17 on a kill by Clarke. Haake halted the run as her kill put Upstate back in front by four. Shearer's kill captured the set for the Spartans giving them the 25-20 victory.
The first 10 points of the fourth set went both ways with the score being tied 5-5 on back-to-back points by the Redhawks. Upstate used a quick 5-2 run to go back in front, but Southeast Missouri State responded by taking the lead back at 13-11 after a kill from Rotta. The Redhawks maintained a three-point cushion after that before the Spartans reeled off five straight points to take the lead back at 20-18 on Haake's kill. Southeast Missouri State responded to even the set twice after that, only to see Upstate score the final two points to win the set 25-23 and match 3-1. Haake's service ace gave the Spartans the match victory.
Match 2 – Upstate at Gardner-Webb
Haake recorded a career-high 18 kills to lead Upstate to a 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-16, 25-13) victory over Gardner-Webb to capture the AmericInn Runnin' Bulldog Classic. The freshman tallied her fourth double-double of the season after contributing 12 digs and was one of four players to finish with double-digit digs. Weiss led all Spartans with 23 digs while Gober dished out 36 assists. Koelling provided 12 kills.
Kaelyn Dyson had nine kills for the Runnin' Bulldogs and Justine Bowers dished out 21 assists. Anna Pashkova tied Weiss with a match-high 23 digs.
After Gardner-Webb scored the initial two points of the first set, Upstate tallied seven of the next eight to lead 7-3 behind a pair of kills from Koelling. The Runnin' Bulldogs answered with a 7-3 run to even the set 10-10. The lead changed hands four times over the next several plays before Gardner-Webb extended its advantage to 20-16 on Shearer's attack error. The Spartans rallied with six consecutive points to go in front 22-20 capped by Gober's service ace. Haake gave Upstate the 25-22 set win with her kill.
The Runnin' Bulldogs answered back to take the second set 25-20. Gardner-Webb led by as many as five, 9-4, early on after a kill from Nicole Celarek. The Spartans got to within two at 9-7 on Yeargin's service ace, but Upstate would not get closer the rest of the way. The Runnin' Bulldogs stretched their lead out to 17-10 courtesy of Dyson's kill. The Spartans tried to make a late run by trimming their deficit to 23-19 following three straight GWU errors. Jene Lee gave Gardner-Webb the set win with her kill.
Upstate traded the opening 14 points of the third set with the Runnin' Bulldogs and both teams sat tied 7-7 after Haake's service ace. The Spartans took control from that point on beginning with a 10-3 run to go ahead 17-10 on Shearer's kill. Upstate took its largest lead of the set at 23-14 after Yeargin's kill completed a string of three straight points. Yeargin would give the Spartans the 25-16 win following her service ace.
Haake and Yeargin combined for three kills to begin the fourth set as Upstate continued its momentum by taking seven of the first eight points to lead 7-1. Gardner-Webb cut the lead to 8-5 only to see the Spartans respond with a 12-3 run and lead 20-8 off Gober's service ace. Upstate cruised after that to a comfortable 25-13 victory and win the match 3-1.
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