SPARTANBURG, S.C. – For the third consecutive match, USC Upstate volleyball continued to pressure its opponent in service as it accomplished something it hadn't as a program since its first season at the NCAA Division I level in 2007.
For the first time since September 15, 2007, the Spartans landed 15 service aces against South Carolina State, landing a team-high ace total for the second time in the past three matches. Leading Upstate, sophomore setter
Emma McElveen totaled a career-high six aces becoming the first Spartan to land five or more aces since Payton Duncan in 2018.
McElveen also paced Upstate's offense with 12 assists in the match as the Spartans passed out 31 total assists in the match, posting an assist on each of the team's kills for the third time this season. Passing out 12 assists, McElveen surpassed 250 assists for her career as freshman setter
Kayla Spangler added seven assists and senior setter
Allie Hamsher added six with Hamsher surpassing 650 assists in her career.
Tallying 31 team kills, all 11 Spartans finished the match with a kill. Sophomore outside hitter
Zelasia Edwards led the group, tying her season-high with five kills while senior outside hitter
Breeana Gamueda and sophomore right-side hitter Rachel Stroot added four kills apiece. Tallying a pair of kills and a block in the second set, freshman middle blocker
Christina Pratcher recorded her first career points.
Defensively, Upstate's two liberos, senior
Mackenzie Marcum and freshman
Julia Gladhill topped the Spartans' backline with eight and seven digs, respectively. Joining the Spartan liberos with five or more digs were Gamueda and senior outside hitter
Kelly Wiedemann who scooped up six and five balls, respectively.
At the net, senior middle blocker
Alexis Mareko tallied a match-high five total blocks, tallying a solo block and four block assists while sophomore middle blocker
Nikki Deslatte recorded her 50
th career block with a block assist.
UP Next for the Spartans
Following its final non-conference match and final match of its three-game homestand, Upstate hits the road for a pair of Big South matches this weekend. The Spartans open the weekend at Hampton Friday before travelling to Campbell Saturday.
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