Saturday's MatchUP
October 22, 2022 | 2:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (6-16; 3-6 Big South) vs. Presbyterian (6-14; 2-6 Big South)
G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
Promotion: Pink Out Match
 
Series History
Continuing a series of two programs that made the transition to NCAA Division I on the same date, USC Upstate and Presbyterian will meet for the 18^th time in the two program's Division I eras (2007-pres.) Saturday afternoon. The Spartans lead the series 10-7, winning five of the six meetings between the two clubs since the programs became Big South foes. Upstate took the season's earlier meeting against the Blue Hose 3-1 in Clinton on Sep. 22 to give the Spartans eight wins over the last nine matches in the series.
 
Last Time Out
Oct. 20, 2022: High Point 3; USC Upstate 0
 
Players to Watch
Upstate: Leading Upstate against High Point Thursday night, sophomore outside hitter Ashleigh Nicoll recorded her sixth career double-digit kill match, posting a team-best 11 kills. Her 11 kills came on a .321 hitting efficiency, the third time she's recorded 10 or more kills while hitting greater than .300. Thursday's match marked her third double-figure kill match during Big South play, her second to feature a hitting percentage of .300 or greater.
 
Presbyterian: Leading the Blue Hose offense this season, sophomore outside hitter Rylee Moorhead ranks eighth in the Big South in kills per set, averaging 2.57 per set this season. She's accrued 190 kills this season with nine double-digit kill matches, including 15 her last time out versus Charleston Southern on Oct. 15. She also leads Presbyterian in service aces, ranking third in the league in total aces with 29.
 
Quotable (Junior Right-Side Hitter Ali Jansen)
On her expanded role as an attacker in the offense …
"It's been good. I think it's been a lot of fun building that trust with my teammates and getting to be out there. We're just all working for the same purpose, so it's been good to be out there with everybody."
 
On her improvement as a blocker and her thought process when blocking in a match…
"I'm working hard on what coach always telling me, like pressing hard up at the top and focusing on up there and talking with my middles. So, it's a team process with blocking, so I've been working at that."
 
On the team's preparations for Presbyterian…
"We've just been focusing a lot, practicing purposefully. I think that's going to show in our game and we're going to hard and ready to battle again."
 
UP Next for the Spartans
Following a single match appearance at the G.B. Hodge center against regional rival Presbyterian Saturday, Upstate hits the road next week against another pair of regional rivals in UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb. The Spartans head to Asheville, N.C. next Friday (6 p.m. ET) before heading to Boiling Springs, N.C. next Saturday (4 p.m. ET).
 
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