Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – For the first time since the 2010 season, the USC Upstate volleyball team won its ASUN opener following a 3-2 (28-30, 25-22, 22-25, 25-15, 15-13) victory over the NJIT Highlanders Saturday afternoon inside the Hodge Center.

Upstate improves to 8-9 on the season and 1-0 in conference play, while NJIT falls to 8-8 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

STATS OF THE MATCH

• The Spartans played in their eighth five-set match of the season on Saturday and improved to 4-4 in those contests.
• Madison Haake extended her double-double streak to nine consecutive matches after finishing with 51 assists and 16 digs. Haake was joined by Montana Swanson, Callie Yeargin and Rebecca Shearer as all three finished with double-doubles.
• Yeargin and Shearer both set new career-highs in kills as Yeargin tallied 18 and Shearer 17.
• Upstate had five players compile double-digit digs led by Haake and Kaleigh Kelley at 16 each.
• Weronika Wiezik and Anna Rodrigues each recorded double-doubles to lead the Highlanders.
• Wiezik had a team-high 15 kills and 17 digs for NJIT, and Rodrigues dished out 51 assists.
• The Spartans out-hit the Highlanders .183 to .152 and held a 65-59 advantage in kills.

• Set One:  Upstate began the first set on a 12-4 run capped by a kill from Haake. NJIT rallied back with a 17-9 run of its own to tie the frame at 21-21. The Highlanders were at set point, 24-22, before the Spartans scored the next two points to even the score at 24-24. The teams exchanged the next nine points before an Upstate attack error gave NJIT the 30-28 win.
• Set Two:  Both teams traded the initial 26 points and were tied 13-13 midway through the second set. Upstate would go up 17-14 after Swanson's kill, only to see the Highlanders take the lead back, 20-18, after going on a 6-1 run. The Spartans finished the set on a 7-2 run to win 25-22 on Yeargin's kill.
• Set Three:  Upstate held an early 11-7 lead in the third set following back-to-back service aces by Swanson.  The Spartans maintained a 17-14 advantage midway through the frame, but NJIT came back to even the set at 20-20. The Highlanders scored five of the last seven points to capture the set 25-22.
• Set Four:  With the scored tied 10-10 to begin the fourth set, Upstate broke the score open courtesy of a 9-1 run to go in front 19-11 on an NJIT attack error. The Spartans led by at least six points after that and earned the 25-15 victory after the Highlanders committed three straight attack errors.
• Set Five:  Upstate started the fifth set on a 7-2 run and took a five-point lead off a kill from Haake. NJIT trimmed the lead down to 10-9 with a kill, but the Spartans responded with three points in a row to increase their lead out to 13-9. The Highlanders were able to get back to within two, 14-12, several plays later. Swanson gave Upstate the 15-13 win on her kill.

• The Spartans play their final non-conference match of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 27 when they host Presbyterian College at 6 p.m.