BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Entering what would ultimately be her final match as a Spartan needing 12 digs to join the program's 1,000-Dig Club as its 15^th member—eighth in the D1 era—senior libero Mackenzie Marcum left little doubt in her pursuit of an exclusive company as she scooped up a season-high 27 digs, two shy of her career-high, against North Carolina A&T in the opening round of the 2021 Big South Volleyball Championship.
 
Despite Marcum's career accomplishment, Upstate dropped Friday night's match—the program's second-ever Big South Tournament appearance—in four sets to the fourth-seeded Aggies.
 
Finishing her career with 1,015 digs, Marcum ranks 15^th on the program's all-time digs list as she's the first since Madison Haake to join the 1,000-Dig Club. Marcum captained a Spartan defensive unit that corralled 20.25 digs per set Friday night, the third time over the final five games of the season the group scooped up 20-plus digs per set.
 
Joining Marcum with double-digit digs were senior outside hitter Breeana Gamueda and senior setter/right-side hitter Allie Hamsher recorded 16 and 14 digs, respectively as each member of the pairing tallied a double-double. Gamueda added 12 kills in her double-double while Hamsher added 26 assists for her sixth straight double-double.
 
Leading Upstate offensively, junior right-side hitter Briana Strobert collected 14 kills on the night, her sixth double-figure kill match of the season. Also with double-figure kills for Upstate were Gamueda and senior outside hitter Kelly Wiedemann who added 12 and 11 kills, respectively.
 
Running the Upstate offense in the match, Hamsher passed out 26 assists, recording her third-highest assist total of the season. Adding to the team's 46 total assists in the match, sophomore setter Emma McElveen dished out 13 assists Friday night.
 
In service, the Spartans landed seven service aces with Hamsher, Marcum, and Wiedemann leading the team with two aces apiece while junior defensive specialist Scout Hoffmeier landed one winner. Reaching 41 service aces on the season, Wiedemann tied the program's Division I era season record for service aces with the first 40-plus ace season since 2008.
 
With the season coming to an end Friday night, Upstate's 2021 season culminates with a Division I era record 10 conference victories while the Spartans finished above .500 in conference play for the first time in the D1 era.
 
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