ROCK HILL, S.C. – After a tough go around in the first two sets Thursday evening, USC Upstate volleyball fought back late in the third to almost force a fourth frame, but unfortunately dropped the first match of the back-to-back series in straight sets to Winthrop on the road.
Upstate took the first point of the match, but Winthrop would ultimately go on a 12-2 run in the opening set that proved to be detrimental to the Spartans. After a Winthrop attack error that made the score 15-6 in favor of the Eagles, the two teams went point-for-point until Winthrop took three straight for a 24-12 lead. Upstate got a couple of points back, first on a kill from Scout Hoffmeier and then an attack error on the Eagles, but Winthrop's Brookelynn Thomas capped the set for her team at 25-14.
The Spartans seemed to be hanging close with the Eagles in set two after holding a 3-2 lead and later trailing by just three points at 10-7, but Winthrop went on a 10-1 run to end the set with a 25-11 win.
In the third frame, Upstate was able to tie things up early at 2-2 on a service error from Winthrop and a double block from Alexis Mareko and Zelasia Edwards. A good swing from Mareko then tied it up at 3-3 before the Spartans later took four straight for an 8-4 lead. Winthrop answered with their own four straight to even things back up at 8-8. After Winthrop took six straight for a 21-14 lead, the Spartans responded with back-to-back kills and a block to cut their deficit to 21-17 and scored their fourth straight point on a Winthrop attack error. Upstate kept chipping away at Winthrop's lead as the Spartans, down 24-19, stayed alive with a 4-0 run that saw two straight kills and a service ace from Hoffmeier. Thomas, however, once again got it done for Winthrop with the set-sending kill to take the match for the Eagles.
Match Leaders
Kills | Alexis Mareko (5), Briana Strobert (4), Breeana Gamueda (3)
Aces | Scout Hoffmeier (1), Hannah Regan (1)
Blocks | Alexis Mareko (6), Kelly Wiedemann (4), Nikki Deslatte (3)
Assists | Emma McElveen (9), Bruna Avila (4), Hannah Regan (4)
Digs | Scout Hoffmeier (10), Mackenzie Marcum (6), Hannah Regan (5)
UP next for the Spartans
Upstate will face the Eagles in game two of the back-to-back series tomorrow at 1 p.m.
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