MOREHEAD, Ky. – Wrapping the first official weekend of the 2023 season and the first of four weekends of non-conference play, USC Upstate volleyball competed for a preseason tournament championship Saturday at the Eagle Challenge. The Spartans battled valiantly against host Morehead State before falling for the first time this season by scores of 23-25, 17-25, 19-25.
Despite dropping the final match of the Eagle Challenge, Upstate concludes its opening weekend at 2-1, securing the program's best start to a season since 2015. The Spartans also concluded the tournament with a pair of All-Tournament Team members as junior libero
Julia Gladhill and junior outside hitter
Ashleigh Nicoll took home the honors.
Game Information
Score: Morehead State 3; USC Upstate 0 (25-23; 25-17; 25-19)
Records: USC Upstate (2-1; 0-0 Big South); Morehead State (3-0; 0-0 OVC)
Location: Johnson Arena | Morehead, Ky.
How It Happened
On the court for the final time on the weekend, USC Upstate fought throughout the afternoon as it forced a tight first set, resulting in the set coming down to the final point. Over the next two sets, the Spartans and Eagles went back-and-forth with one another with Upstate coming out in the third set and jumping to a 7-1 lead early in the set.
Continuing a weekend of firsts and career highs and building upon her near double-double from the season opener against Queens, junior setter
Kayla Spangler secured her first career double-double Saturday afternoon as she passed out 29 assists and dug up 10 balls. Her 10 digs marked a career-high while her 29 assists give her 25 or more assists in three consecutive matches to start the season.
Spangler was one of three Spartans to scoop up 10 or more digs with Upstate collecting 55 digs over the match's three-set duration. Senior defensive specialist
Caroline Cleveland and junior libero
Julia Gladhill each picked up 11 digs with Cleveland recording double-figure digs in her USC Upstate debut. Nearing double-digit digs, junior outside hitter
Ashleigh Nicoll neared her second double-double of the year, registering nine digs.
Offensively, Nicoll recorded a team-best 11 kills, leading the team in terminations for the second straight game, recording double-figure kills for the second time this season after putting down 13 kills in Friday's season opener. Senior outside hitter
Zelasia Edwards finished just shy of double-digits with eight kills while sophomore middle blocker
Ady O'Grady and senior middle blocker
Nikki Deslatte rounded out the group of Spartans with five-plus kills, collecting six and five, respectively.
UP Next for the Spartans
Following its season-opening trip to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Upstate returns home for a string of matches in the Palmetto State, hosting a pair of matches on Sep. 2 as part of a dual-host tournament with Wofford. The Spartans welcome South Carolina State and Georgia State to the G.B. Hodge Center as part of the event with match times set for 11:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET.
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