GREENVILLE, N.C. – Gloria Ikenegbu and Emily Russell each had a team-high 15 kills, while Mikenzie Young-Mullins recorded her third career double-double, on Saturday evening as the USC Upstate volleyball team closed out play at the Pirate Invitational falling 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 25-23, 18-25, 8-15) to the East Carolina Pirates from Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
USC Upstate falls to 1-8 overall while East Carolina improves to 8-1 on the season.
The Spartans began the match scoring two of the first three points and held an early 2-1 lead on a kill by Ikenegbu. Scout Hoffemier would later cut USC Upstate's deficit down to 7-6 with her service ace. The Pirates would then score six straight points and extend their lead to 13-6. East Carolina led by as many as nine points coming at 19-10. The Spartans got as close as 22-18 late following another kill by Ikenegbu. The Pirates would go on to win the set 25-21.
The teams traded the first 12 points of the second set as Russell evened the score at 6-6 after her kill. After East Carolina went ahead 11-7, USC Upstate responded with a 5-1 run and tied the score at 12-12 when Ikenegbu connected on a kill. Neither team led by more than two points midway until the Spartans used a 4-1 run to take a 21-18 lead off a service ace from Annalisa Mendoza. USC Upstate benefitted from three Pirate attack errors, and a combination block from Ikenegbu, Bri Strobert and McKenna Kirkpatrick, to capture the set 25-20.
East Carolina opened the third set on an 8-4 run, but the Spartans answered with a 7-1 run of their own to go in front 11-9 after a kill by Young-Mullins. The Pirates would go back ahead by two points, 16-14, only to see USC Upstate respond with six of the next eight points to hold a 20-18 advantage on a block by Russell and Kirkpatrick. East Carolina then tied the score at 23-23. The Spartans scored the last two points, capped by a kill from Kirkpatrick, for the 25-23 victory.
The Pirates used a 7-1 run to take a 12-4 lead in the early stages of the fourth set. East Carolina led by as many as nine points twice with the last coming at 17-8. USC Upstate got as close as five points, 19-14, following a service ace by Hoffmeier. The Pirates recorded four of the final five points of the set to win 25-18.
East Carolina jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead in the fifth set before the Spartans scored three consecutive points, capped by a Mackenzie Marcum service ace, to trail 5-4. Russell kept USC Upstate within three points, 9-6, several plays later with her kill. The Pirates closed out the set on a 6-2 run to secure the 15-8 win and 3-2 match victory.
Stats of the Match
· Ikenegbu and Russell each collected a team-high 15 kills and hit .333 for the match.
· Young-Mullins compiled her third career double-double, and first this season, after finishing with 12 kills and 14 digs.
· Mendoza dished out a career-high 52 assists while contributing nine digs.
· Marcum added 15 digs to lead the Spartans defensively.
· Bri Woods finished with a double-double of 22 kills and 10 digs to lead East Carolina.
· Natalie Tyson and Kaiya Heyliger-Powell had 13 and 12 kills, respectively.
· Shelby Martin posted 55 assists and Brandee Markwith 26 digs.
· USC Upstate tallied a season-high .214 hitting percentage while holding a 7.5-6.0 advantage in team blocks.
Up Next
· The Spartans travel to Greensboro, N.C. on Tuesday, September 17 to face North Carolina A&T at 6 p.m.
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