Shirley Interview
Young-Mullins and Mendoza Interview
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Sophomore outside hitter
Mikenzie Young-Mullins (Duncan, S.C.) registered her first double-double of the season as the Spartans defeated Alabama A&M 3-1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-18, 25-15) on Friday night from the Eddie and Anne Payne Arena inside the G.B. Hodge Center.
"They've been working really hard and they've had some close ones that they could not finish." USC Upstate head volleyball coach
Ronda Shirley said, "I was proud of them to come back and make a statement in the fourth set."
USC Upstate (3-8) and Alabama A&M (4-8) were two evenly matched teams for the majority of the first two sets. In just the first set alone the score was tied on 13 different occasions and the lead changed a trio of times over the course of the set.
Mackenzie Marcum put the team up 12-9 in the middle of the first set with a service ace. At the moment it seemed that the Spartans had control of the momentum but soon the momentum swung back in favor of Alabama A&M. The Bulldogs and the Spartans were once again deadlocked and battled for every point.
Trailing 18-15 in the opening set
Gloria Ikenegbu ignited the Spartans offense with back-to-back kills to pull the Spartans back within a point. Moments later Ikenegbu recorded yet another kill to tie the game at 19-19. With the opening set on the line at 24-22, Young-Mullins and Ikenegbu registered back-to-back kills to tie the set at 24. Alabama A&M eventually won the first set on a service ace.
In the second set the Spartans offense caught fire and won seven of the first ten points of the set. Alabama A&M countered the Spartans attack and eventually pulled within a point of USC Upstate at 16-15. Moments later the match was tied at 19-19 after a service ace by the Bulldogs. USC Upstate responded by closing out the second set on a 6-2 run.
After a short five minute intermission between sets two and three, the Spartans and the Bulldogs ended up deadlocked at seven after the first 14 points of the third set. A Young-Mullins kill sparked a 9-5 run for the Spartans and they never looked back as they won the third set 25-18. In the fourth set the Spartans recorded a .275 hitting percentage and held Alabama A&M to a .211 attacking percentage.
The Spartans took care of business in the fourth set with a 10-4 run to start the last stanza of play. Following a media timeout at 15-10, Terra Brooks laced a ball down the line to pull the Bulldogs within four points of the Spartans.
McKenna Kirkpatrick (Omaha, Neb.) gave the Spartans an insurmountable lead registering a trio of kills over the next six points to give USC Upstate a 19-11 advantage. Young-Mullins hammered the nail into the coffin as the Spartans took the final set 25-15.
"It's great showing that we have been working really hard in practice," Young-Mullins said. "We've been coming in day-in and day-out and showing 100 percent in practice."
"My game plan tonight was to set the hot hand and today it was Mikenzie…"Mendoza said after the match.
Stats of the Match:
- Four Spartans recorded double-digit kills in Friday night's win. Young-Mullins led the team with 19 kills, Emily Russell had 17 kills, Kirkpatrick ended with 13 kills and Ikenegbu contributed 10 kills in the contest.
- Marcum led the Spartans with 16 digs and Young-Mullins finished second on the team with 10 digs.
- Annalisa Mendoza rest her career high with 55 assists in the match. The freshman registered a .407 setting percentage.
- Russel led the team in total blocks with four on the night and finished second in points with 20.5. Young-Mullins led the team in total points with 23 on the night.
- Maya Evans and Terra Brooks tied for the team led in kills with 15 for Alabama A&M. Megan Evans recorded 39 assists in the loss and Maci Battle recorded a team high 17 digs.
- USC Upstate held a .310-262 advantage over the Bulldogs in hitting percentage.
Up Next:
- The USC Upstate volleyball team will have a week off to get ready for the start of Big South competition. The Spartans begin the conference portion of the competition with a road game against UNC Asheville on September 28th.
Follow USC Upstate volleyball on Facebook (UpstateAthletics), Twitter (@UpstateVB), Instagram (@upstatespartans) and YouTube (USCUpstateAthletics).
