Black & Gold Classic
September 8, 2023 | 11:00 a.m./6:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (4-2; 0-0 Big South) vs. Appalachian State (6-0; 0-0 Sun Belt)
USC Upstate (4-2; 0-0 Big South) vs. UNC Greensboro (0-6; 0-0 SoCon)
 
September 9, 2023 | 11:00 a.m.
USC Upstate (4-2; 0-0 Big South) vs. North Carolina A&T (1-4; 0-0 CAA)
Holmes Convocation Center | Boone, N.C.
 
TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
 
How They Stack Up
vs. Appalachian State
Records: USC Upstate (4-2; 0-0 Big South); Appalachian State (6-0; 0-0 Sun Belt)
Series: Appalachian State leads 2-0
Last Five Meetings: Sep. 2, 2022 (APP 3; UPST 1); Sep. 4, 2010 (APP 3; UPST 0)
 
vs. UNC Greensboro
Records: USC Upstate (4-2; 0-0 Big South); UNC Greensboro (0-6; 0-0 SoCon)
Series: UNC Greensboro leads 1-0
Last Five Meetings: Sep. 5, 2014 (UNCG 3; UPST 2)
 
vs. North Carolina A&T
Records: USC Upstate (4-2; 0-0 Big South); North Carolina A&T (1-4; 0-0 CAA)
Series: Series tied 2-2
Last Five Meetings: Nov. 19, 2021 (NCAT 3; UPST 1); Nov. 12, 2021 (NCAT 3; UPST 1); Sep. 25, 2021 (UPST 3; NCAT 2); Sep. 17, 2019 (UPST 3; NCAT 1)
 
Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Leading the Spartans with a season-high-tying 13 kills Tuesday night at Furman, sophomore middle blocker Ady O'Grady also led Upstate with a .346 hitting efficiency. She recorded her 13 kills on 26 total swings while committing four errors to record her fourth match of the season hitting .300 or better as she ranks second in the Big South and 89^th in the NCAA in hitting efficiency (.383). She's recorded 53 total kills on the season while adding a team-high 17 blocks (0.94) per set as she ranks fifth in the league in blocks per set.
 
Appalachian State: Leading one of 32 undefeated teams in the NCAA, sophomore middle blocker Maya Wintherhoff ranks 17^th in the NCAA in blocks per set, averaging 1.55 blocks per set for a Mountaineers' defense that ranks 11^th in the country in opponent's hitting efficiency. She's recorded six or more blocks on four occasions this season, including collecting 15 total blocks over her last two matches as she's totaled 34 this season. Winterhoff also leads the Sun Belt in hitting efficiency, hitting .411 on the season while hitting .400 or better in four matches.
 
UNC Greensboro: A transfer from Eastern Michigan, junior middle blocker Madeline Timmerman leads the Spartans in hitting percentage, ranking fourth in the SoCon with a .351 hitting efficiency. She's racked up 33 kills on the season, hitting at least .230 or better in each of her team's six games this year, including hitting .300 or better (min. 10 attempts) in three matches. She enters the weekend off her best hitting performance of the year, totaling three kills on four attempts versus Akron, hitting .750.
 
North Carolina A&T: Averaging 4.00 kills per set and ranking 49^th in the NCAA in the category, junior outside hitter Naiya Sawtelle leads the Coastal Athletic Conference in the category while also leading the league in points per set and aces per set. She's totaled 76 kills on the year while adding 12 service aces as she leads an Aggie service that ranks 19^th in the NCAA in team aces per set. She's racked up double-digit kills in each match this season while landing two or more aces in each of her last four matches.
 
Last Time Out
September 5, 2023: Furman 3; USC Upstate 0
 
UP Next for the Spartans
Following the Black & Gold Classic, Upstate wraps up non-conference play with its final weekend tournament, heading to North Florida for the Sunshine Invitational. At the event, the Spartans play South Florida, Alabama A&M, and North Florida.
 
Connect with the Spartans 
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics 
Twitter | @UpstateVB | @UpstateSpartans 
Instagram | @UpstateVB | @UpstateSpartans 
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans 
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