SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Back at home in Big South play after a single road match Thursday afternoon to break up a string of matches at the G.B. Hodge Center, USC Upstate volleyball opened its string of matches with regional rivals with a four-set setback to Presbyterian behind scores of 25-19, 19-25, 21-25, 25-27 with both squads battling until the final point.
The Spartans took the first set and kept each of the subsequent sets close—pushing the final set to extra points—on the strength of the team's floor defense which averaged 22.0 digs per set Saturday afternoon. Leading the way, sophomore libero
Julia Gladhill became the first Spartan since 2016 to dig up 30 or more balls as she concluded the match with a career-high 31 digs.
Overall, five players finished the match with double-figure digs for the Spartans, the first time the feat has been accomplished this season. Joining Gladhill in digging double-digit balls were freshman setter
Savannah Page, junior setter
Emma McElveen, freshman middle blocker
Ady O'Grady, and sophomore defensive specialist
Sami Allen who dug up 16, 14, 13, and 11 digs, respectively.
Complementing their double-figure dig totals, McElveen and Page passed out 22 and 17 assists, respectively, to collect double-doubles. For McElveen, the double-double marks her third of the season and fifth of her career whereas Page's double-double is the fourth of her career and featured a career-high dig total.
Offensively, Upstate had three players finish with 10 or more kills for the first time during Big South play as sophomore outside hitter
Ashleigh Nicoll paced the Spartan attack with 11 kills, including seven over the match's final two sets. She was joined in double-figures by junior middle blocker
Nikki Deslatte and junior right-side hitter
Ali Jansen who added 10 kills apiece. O'Grady added to her career-high-tying dig total with eight kills.
At the net, the Spartans recorded 10.0 total team blocks with a trio of Spartans recording four-plus total blocks. Deslatte led the trio with five total blocks as O'Grady and senior right-side hitter
Briana Strobert contributed four total blocks each.
UP Next for the Spartans
After wrapping up a stretch of three of four matches at the G.B. Hodge Center, Upstate continues its streak of matches versus regional rivals with a pair of upcoming road matches. The Spartans head to UNC Asheville next Friday (6 p.m.) before concluding the week with a trip to Gardner-Webb next Saturday (4 p.m.).
JOIN UP
Make a difference in the lives of USC Upstate student-athletes!
Donate to the USC Upstate U Club today!
Keep UP with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateVB @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @UpstateVB @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
