SPARTANBURG, S.C. – USC Upstate fans will have two opportunities to see their Spartans in action this weekend as the volleyball team hosts Gardner-Webb on Friday night and Winthrop on Saturday afternoon.
 
USC Upstate (3-9, 0-1 BSC) has had six days off since there last match against UNC Asheville. Although the Spartans lost 3-1 on the road, USC Upstate is looking to keep a three game winning streak alive against Gardner-Webb (2-11, 0-2 BSC) on Friday evening.
 
"I think it's positive, anytime you have extended time to prepare for the next two teams on your schedule." USC Upstate head volleyball coach Ronda Shirley said, "We were able to focus and clean up some of the mistakes we made in the last match."
 
The Spartans have been competitive throughout the 2019 season and have had a few breaks go the wrong way. USC Upstate is currently in ninth place in the Big South standings and Gardner-Webb sits in 10^th place in the standings. On Saturday afternoon the Spartans will take on the top team in the conference when Winthrop (10-3, 2-0 BSC) comes to town. The Eagles are currently riding a seven game winning streak heading into the weekend.
 
This is the first home game for USC Upstate in nearly two weeks. The Spartans came away with a 3-1 win over Alabama A&M in their last home match. "Being at home should always be an advantage," Shirley responded. "We love our fans and the girls have worked really hard this season. Every time the team steps on the court the fans can see that we are improving and we are here to compete."
 
Sophomore Mikenzie Young-Mullins (Duncan, S.C.) has caught fire in recent weeks. The Palmetto State native has recorded double-doubles (Kills and Digs) in back-to-back games for the Spartans and in both cases led the team in kills.
 
Emily Russell (Mills River, N.C.) is currently fifth in the Big South in hitting percentage (.307), sixth in kills per set (3.12), fourth in blocks per set (1.10) and third in points per set (3.93).
 
Gardner-Webb is coming off a pair of three set losses to Charleston Southern and Presbyterian. In the past two matches the Runnin' Bulldogs have had at least one set in which they did not score more than nine points.
 
Winthrop enters Payne Arena on Saturday afternoon and the Eagles are carrying a seven game winning streak into the weekend. Winthrop has not lost since a September 7^th  five-set loss to Ohio University in Washington D.C. This will also be the first road game for the Eagles in more than two weeks.
 
The USC Upstate Athletic Department will be collecting money at all women's soccer games and volleyball games during the month of October for the American Cancer Society of South Carolina. The final total will be announced on the "Dig Pink" volleyball match on October 19 against UNC Asheville. USC Upstate encourages fans to wear pink to the women's soccer and volleyball games throughout the month of October.
 
USC Upstate and Gardner-Webb will start at 6:00 p.m. Live video links and live stat links can be found at www.upstatespartans.com.
 
Follow USC Upstate volleyball on Facebook (UpstateAthletics), Twitter (@UpstateVB), Instagram (@upstatespartans) and YouTube (USCUpstateAthletics).