SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Facing a five-set for the first time this season in the team's final match on the opening day of the Wofford Invitational, USC Upstate volleyball did not wilt under the pressure of the tight match with Eastern Kentucky, fighting to the very end in a setback by scores of 20-25, 25-18, 25-22, 24-26, 10-15.
 
Leading to the Spartans' victory in the second set, sophomore outside hitter Ashleigh Nicoll bested her team-best single-set kill total of five in the second set versus Georgia Southern with six kills in the second set Friday night against Eastern Kentucky. In the set she hit .625, committing just one error on eight swings.
 
In the team's third-set victory, Upstate tied its season-high—set in the third set against Appalachian State—for team kills in a single set with 17, hitting .400 (17-3-35) for the frame. Freshman right-side hitter Savannah Page paced the Spartans in kills in the set with four while sophomore right-side hitter Kate Idrogo and Nicoll added three terminations apiece.
 
Over the entire match, four Spartans reached double-figures in the match with Nicoll and freshman middle blocker Ady O'Grady leading Upstate with 11 terminations each. Joining Nicoll and O'Grady in reaching double-digit kills, Idrogo and senior right-side hitter Briana Strobert recorded 10 kills apiece.
 
Adding to her 10 kills, Idrogo recorded her third career double-double as she was one of three Spartans with double-figure dig totals, scooping up a career-best 15 against the Colonels. Shattering her career-high for digs, junior setter Emma McElveen dug up 17 balls, adding the total to her 26 assists to craft her third career double-double.
 
Supplementing their double-digit kill totals, O'Grady and Strobert each tallied six total blocks apiece in the match—the most total blocks by an individual this season for the Spartans—to lead the team's block. Upstate turned in 13.0 total team blocks, the most since posting 16.0 versus Campbell on Nov. 5, 2021.
 
Leading the Upstate defense and cleaning up behind the team's block, freshman libero Jaci Drinnon scooped up a career-best 23 digs, helping Upstate to 81 as a team. Nearly joining Drinnon, Idrogo, and McElveen in double-figures against Eastern Kentucky, Nicoll and sophomore setter Kayla Spangler added eight and nine digs, respectively.
 
UP Next for the Spartans
Wrapping play at the Wofford Invitational, Upstate looks ahead to an inter-city match against host Wofford. The match concludes the Wofford Invitational at sees first serve set for 2 p.m. ET with the game airing on ESPN+.
 
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