SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Looking to start Big South Conference play 2-0 for the first time since joining the league in 2018, USC Upstate volleyball showed its gritty nature as it battled High Point all afternoon to the tune of set scores of 20-25, 26-28, 25-13, 12-25.
For the second straight match, Upstate finished with an attacker posting 14 kills and a hitting percentage greater than .300 as it was senior right-side
Briana Strobert who accomplished the feat Saturday. She finished with 14 kills while hitting .387 (14-2-31) as her kill total marked a season-high.
Giving the Spartans a second player with double-digit kills in the match, freshman middle blocker
Ady O'Grady reached double-figure terminations for the second straight match, posting 10-plus kills in back-to-back matches for the first time in her career. She also added a team-high four total blocks, all block assists.
Nearly reaching double-figure kills and her first career double-double, sophomore outside hitter
Ashleigh Nicoll registered nine kills and nine digs, tying for the team lead in digs. In service, she landed a career-high four service aces, giving Upstate a player with four or more aces in a match in both of the team's Big South contests.
Elsewhere in the box score, junior outside hitter
Zelasia Edwards and junior middle blocker
Nikki Deslatte added seven and six kills, respectively, with Deslatte's six kills coming via a .455 hitting efficiency.
Pacing the offense and leading the team to a .185 team hitting percentage, freshman setter
Savannah Page dished out a career-best 35 assists. She also led the Spartans to a hitting efficiency greater than .200 for much of the match, including a .467 hitting efficiency in the third set. Defensively, Page joined Nicoll with a team-high nine digs.
UP Next for the Spartans
Big South play and the Spartans' homestand continues with a pair of games late next week as Upstate hosts regional rivals Gardner-Webb and UNC Asheville. The Spartans host the Runnin' Bulldogs from Boiling Springs, N.C. Thursday before welcoming the Bulldogs from Asheville, N.C. to the Hodge on Friday. Both matches feature a 6 p.m. ET first serve time.
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