Box Score (.pdf)

Lynchburg, Va. – The USC Upstate volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to the Liberty Flames on Friday evening inside the Vines Center during day one of the Liberty Invitational.

The Spartans fall to 0-5 on the season while Liberty improves to 1-3.

The Flames defeated Upstate by scores of 25-17, 25-19 and 25-16.

STATS OF THE MATCH

• Madison Haake finished with her third double-double of the season, and 14^th of her career, to lead the Spartans. Haake contributed a team-high 15 assists and 14 digs.
• Alexa Lagaly posted a season-best nine kills for Upstate and Kaleigh Kelley added 10 digs.
• Leah Clayton and Gabrielle Vess each had nine kills to lead Liberty offensively.
• Anna Willey added a double-double of 31 assists and 11 digs, while Margaret Latchford had 12 digs.
• The Flames out-hit the Spartans .227 to .000.

• Set One:  Upstate held an early 6-3 lead after back-to-back service errors by Liberty, but the Flames responded with a 6-3 run of their own to tie the set at 9-9. Liberty then scored four points in a row to go in front 13-9. The Spartans would cut their deficit to three, 16-13, until the Flames scored six of the next seven points to push the lead to 22-14. Liberty went on the win the set 25-17.
• Set Two:  The teams split the opening six points before the Flames scored three straight to lead 6-3. Upstate fought back to within one three times with the last coming at 9-8 on Lagaly's kill. The Spartans kept their deficit at three midway when Callie Yeargin made it 16-13 following her kill. Liberty broke the set open courtesy of a 6-2 run as it went ahead 22-15. Upstate was only able to get as close as five after that. The Flames captured the second set 25-19.
• Set Three:  Liberty opened the frame by scoring the first six points, and ten of the initial 12, to lead 10-2. The Spartans answered back by cutting the lead down to 15-11, capping a 9-5 run, after an attack error by the Flames. Liberty recorded four straight following the Upstate run, but Lagaly's service ace got Upstate back to 19-15. The Spartans were held to one point after that as the Flames would take the third set 25-16.

• Upstate closes out its weekend at the Liberty Invitational by playing two matches on Saturday against ETSU and Hampton.
• The Spartans will face ETSU at 10 a.m. Saturday morning followed by Hampton at 4:30 p.m.