BUIES CREEK, N.C. – For the third time in its last three matches, USC Upstate volleyball had three or more players record 10 or more digs as the Spartans wrapped its two-match Big South road trip Saturday afternoon at Campbell.
 
Behind three kills apiece from senior outside hitter Breeana Gamueda and sophomore right-side hitter Rachel Stroot and forcing the Camels into eight attack errors, the Spartans captured their first set victory over Campbell since October 2019 in the first, bucking a streak of three consecutive sweeps by the Camels.
 
Campbell, however, would battle back and take the match in four sets by scores of 17-25, 25-12, 25-14, and 25-19.
 
Leading Upstate defensively, senior libero Mackenzie Marcum, Gamueda, and senior outside hitter Kelly Wiedemann totaled double-digit digs in the match, scooping up 21, 16, and 10 balls, respectively. With three players with 10 or more digs, Saturday's match is the third in four Big South matches with three or more Spartans with double-figure dig totals.
 
With her 21 digs, Marcum exceeded 800 digs in her career, finishing the match with 814 career digs after posting her third 20-plus dig match of the season.
 
Adding to her 10 digs in the match, Wiedemann neared a double-double with a team-best nine kills in the match while Gamueda also neared a double-double, tallying eight terminations in the match. With her 10 digs and nine kills, Wiedemann surpassed both 250 career digs and kills in a Spartan uniform.
 
Leading the Spartan blocking efforts, sophomore middle blocker Nikki Deslatte, senior middle blocker Alexis Mareko, and junior right-side hitter Briana Strobert each collected two total blocks each as Strobert's blocks pushed her over 100 total blocks in her career, joining Mareko as the two Spartans to reach that milestone in 2021.
 
In service, Mareko led Upstate with a pair of service aces as the Spartans landed five or more winners for the fifth consecutive match.
 
UP Next for the Spartans
Following its quick two-match road trip, Upstate returns to the G.B. Hodge Center for three straight Big South Conference matches. The Spartans host Winthrop Friday at 6 p.m. ET and Gardner-Webb Saturday at 2 p.m. before hosting UNC Asheville on October 12.
 
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