Box Score SPARTANBURG, S.C. – McKenna Kirkpatrick collected her first career double-double on Tuesday evening, while Emily Russell set a new career-high in kills, as the USC Upstate volleyball team dropped a 3-2 (25-21, 25-16, 26-28, 23-25, 12-15) decision to the Tusculum Pioneers from Eddie and Ann Payne Arena inside the G.B. Hodge Center.
 
USC Upstate falls to 0-6 on the season while Tusculum improves to 2-2 overall.
 
The Spartans recorded eight of the first 12 points of the opening set and took an 8-4 lead when Mikenzie Young-Mullins connected on a kill. The Pioneers would cut the lead down to 12-10 a few plays later. USC Upstate broke the set open courtesy of a 7-2 run and went ahead 19-12 on a Tusculum attack error. Gloria Ikenegbu and Bri Strobert kept the Spartans in front, 21-15, with their combination block. The Pioneers attempted a late rally and got as close as 21-19. USC Upstate closed out the set scoring four of the next six points to win 25-21.
 
The Spartans began the second set on an 8-3 run capped by a kill from Russell to give them a five-point lead. Tusculum came back with a 9-5 run and trailed 13-12, forcing USC Upstate into a timeout. The Spartans came out of the break and went on a 9-1 run and led 22-13 following a combination block by Ikenegbu and Mackenzie Lauer. Russell's kill secured the 25-16 victory for USC Upstate.
 
The teams traded the first 14 points of the third set, which featured a total of 15 ties and six lead changes. Strobert would then give the Spartans a 10-9 advantage with her kill. An 8-3 run would then give the Pioneers a 17-13 lead. USC Upstate responded with an 11-5 run and held a 24-22 lead when Ikenegbu recorded a kill. The set would go into extra points and saw the Spartans go in front 25-24 after another kill by Ikenegbu. Tusculum scored four of the next five points to pick up the 28-26 win.
 
The fourth set saw the Pioneers take a 10-7 lead after a USC Upstate service error. Tusculum led by as many as five points, 15-10, in the set. The Spartans used an 8-3 run to even the score at 18-18 off a Pioneer service error. Following the service error, USC Upstate scored four of the next five points and held a 22-19 advantage on a service ace by Annalisa Mendoza. The Pioneers outscored the Spartans 6-1 after that to earn the 25-23 win.
 
Ikenegbu gave USC Upstate an early 3-2 lead in the fifth set with her kill. Several plays later, Tusculum went in front 9-7 after a kill. The Spartans managed to tie the score at 10-10 off a kill by Mendoza. The following play, Ikenegbu tallied a kill and gave USC Upstate an 11-10 lead. The Spartans would be held to one point the rest of the way as the Pioneers captured the set 15-12 and won the match 3-2.
 
Stats of the Match

• Kirkpatrick collected her first career double-double at USC Upstate after finishing with 10 kills and a career-high 20 digs.
• Russell also recorded a career-high after compiling a match-best 20 kills.
• Young-Mullins tied her career-high of 26 digs.
• Ikenegbu added 11 kills and Mackenzie Marcum had 15 digs.
• Mendoza and Scout Hoffmeier combined for 51 assists as Mendoza tallied a career-high 28 and Hoffmeier added 23.
• Emiah Burrowes led Tusculum with a double-double of 18 kills and 11 digs.
• Elise Carmichael contributed 31 assists and Carly Sosnowski 24 digs.
• The Spartans held a .165-.150 advantage over the Pioneers in hitting percentage.
• USC Upstate concluded the match with 13.0 total blocks.

Up Next

• The Spartans travel to Greenville, N.C. this weekend, September 13-14, to face Norfolk State, George Washington and East Carolina in the Pirate Invitational.

Follow USC Upstate volleyball on Facebook (UpstateAthletics), Twitter (@UpstateVB), Instagram (@upstatespartans), YouTube (USCUpstateAthletics) and text/e-mail alerts (www.upstatespartans.com/list-signup).