MOREHEAD, Ky. – Beginning a new era of USC Upstate volleyball, the Spartans delivered for head coach Ali Skayhan as her tenure atop the Upstate program began with a pair of victories Friday afternoon at the Eagle Challenge, becoming the first head coach in the program's Division I era (2007-pres.) to win her first two matches.
 
The Spartans opened the event by defeating Queens (N.C.) in four straight sets, winning the final three games of the match to earn Skayhan's first career head coaching victory. Upstate followed up with a sweep of Stonehill (Mass.) in match two as the Spartans finished the day with six consecutive set victories.
 
The 2023 campaign marks the third consecutive season the Spartans have won the season opener while also being the first season since 2015 to open with multiple victories.
 
Game Information (Match One)
Score: USC Upstate 3; Queens 1 (22-25; 25-23; 25-13; 25-22)
Records: USC Upstate (1-0; 0-0 Big South); Queens (0-1; 0-0 ASUN)
Location: Johnson Arena | Morehead, Ky.
 
How It Happened (Match One)
Hitting the floor for the first time and under the direction of first-year head coach Ali Skayhan, USC Upstate battled back after dropping the first set to earn its head coach her first career victory with three straight set victories to open the season 1-0.
 
Three Spartans finished the match with double-digit kills—the first such match for the program since Oct. 22, 2022 versus Presbyterian—as senior outside hitter Zelasia Edwards paced the trio with a career-best 15 kills, her first match with 10 or more kills in her career. Just behind her on the leaderboard were sophomore middle blocker Ady O'Grady and junior outside hitter Ashleigh Nicoll who added 13 and 11 kills, respectively.
 
Supplementing her 11 terminations, Nicoll dug up a career-high 18 balls to secure her second career double-double, the first of the season for a Spartan. As a team, Upstate recorded 74 digs (18.5 per set) with junior libero Julia Gladhill leading the way with 27 digs, averaging 6.75 per set and collecting eight, seven, five, and seven digs in each set, respectively.
 
Elsewhere defensively, Upstate tallied 10.0 total team blocks, earning one solo block and 18 block assists in the match. O'Grady led the Spartans with six total blocks, picking up the team's lone solo block and registering five block assists. Just behind her with four blocks was sophomore right-side hitter MJ Kluamann who recorded each of her blocks via block assists with her four block assists marking a new career high.
 
Pacing the offense, junior setter Kayla Spangler dished out a career-high 38 helpers as she led the Spartans to a .247 team hitting efficiency. She neared her first career double-double as she contributed nine digs, tying a career-high.
 
Game Information (Match Two)
Score: USC Upstate 3; Stonehill 0 (25-23; 25-21; 25-17)
Records: USC Upstate (2-0; 0-0 Big South); Stonehill (0-2; 0-0 NEC)
Location: Johnson Arena | Morehead, Ky.
 
How It Happened (Match Two)
After reeling off three consecutive set victories in its opening match of the day, USC Upstate turned right around and continued its winning ways, sweeping Stonehill to improve to 2-0 on the day and earning the program's first season with consecutive victories to open the year since 2015.
 
While no attacker for the Spartans recorded more than seven kills in the three-set match, five Spartans recorded five or more kills in a balanced offensive match for the team. Junior outside hitter Ashleigh Nicoll recorded a team-best seven kills with senior outside hitter Zelasia Edwards and sophomore right-side hitter MJ Klaumann adding six terminations apiece, and sophomore middle blocker Alona Clinansmith and sophomore middle blocker Ady O'Grady chipping in five apiece. For Clinansmith, her five kills represent a career high.
 
Continuing its efficient offensive day, Upstate finished the match with Stonehill hitting .232, hitting .220 or better in consecutive matches for the first time since Sep. 17, 2021, versus Mercer (.271) and Alabama State (.256). Junior setter Kayla Spangler dished out 25 assists in the match, eclipsing 20 or more assists in consecutive matches for the first time in her career.
 
Defensively, a pair of Spartans, junior libero Julia Gladhill and senior setter Emma McElveen, notched double-figure digs, scooping up 15 and 12 balls, respectively. At the net, Upstate recorded eight team total blocks with Clinansmith and Edwards recording four total blocks apiece as Clinansmith's total marked another career high in the match.
 
UP Next for the Spartans
Upstate returns to action tomorrow afternoon, closing out the Eagle Challenge against host Morehead State. The match features a 2:00 p.m. ET first serve and sees the Spartans and Eagles vying for a tournament championship.
 
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