ROCK HILL, S.C. – USC Upstate volleyball suffered another straight-set loss to Winthrop Friday afternoon in match two of the back-to-back series. The sets were much closer than the previous day, however, going down at 25-18, 25-20, 25-18.
The Spartans struck first in the opening set, but Winthrop responded with five unanswered points to go up 5-1. A block from Briana Strobert and Nikki Deslatte tied things up at 6-6 before back-to-back kills from Deslatte gave Upstate the 8-7 lead. Winthrop then took five straight points to force an Upstate timeout, and the Spartans came out of the timeout with a couple points to cut their deficit to 12-10. Upstate picked up some momentum and went on a 7-2 run to pull within one point of the Eagles at 18-17, but Winthrop was able to take the first set 25-18. Alexis Mareko led the Spartans with four kills in the first set.
The second set opened up in back-and-forth fashion and the Spartans hung tight with the Eagles throughout the frame, largely due to five kills from Briana Strobert early in the set. The two teams went point-for-point from when Winthrop had a 14-10 lead until Upstate took two straight points to make it 18-16. Winthrop later extended its lead to 24-18, but Upstate stayed alive on a kill from Deslatte and a block from Deslatte and Rachael Stroot before Winthrop finished it off 25-20.
After being tied at six apiece in the third set, the Eagles started to pull away, eventually building up to a 19-10 lead. Upstate took the next four straight points, but back-to-back Winthrop service aces put the Eagles up 22-14. The Spartans once again fought to stay alive after Winthrop led 24-16, this time on a block by Strobert and Deslatte and a kill from Stroot, but the Eagles got the match-clinching kill and took the final set 25-18.
Match Leaders
Briana Strobert | 8 kills, 3 blocks
Nikki Deslatte | 6 blocks, 5 kills
Emma McElveen | 10 assists, 8 digs
Zelasia Edwards | 10 digs
UP next for the Spartans
The Spartans will host Gardner-Webb in their home opener Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. followed by match two of the back-to-back series on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.
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