SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Feeding off the numinous atmosphere created by a raucous Spartan Army as USC Upstate volleyball made its triumphant return to the G.B. Hodge Center, the Spartans matched the energy in the building with its trademark grit by becoming the first Big South opponent since November 2022 to take High Point to five sets in a conference match.
 
Despite falling behind two sets to none at the break and seeing the match's momentum ensconced in the Panthers' court, the Spartans purloined said momentum, turning the energy into a pair of come-from-behind set victories to send the match to the elusive fifth frame. Facing a fifth set for the first time in the 12-game series against High Point, Upstate battled valiantly before ultimately falling in the final stanza.
 
The night also featured several milestones on the Spartans' side of the net, chief among them senior libero Julia Gladhill joining the 1,000-Dig Club as she becomes the 16^th member of the club in program history and the ninth to join during the Division I era (2007-pres.). She entered the night needing 26 digs to reach the milestone and become the first since Mackenzie Marcum on Nov. 19, 2021, to hit the mark, finishing the night digging 29 balls.
 
Game Information
Score: High Point 3; USC Upstate 2 (25-21; 25-19; 19-25; 25-27; 15-5)
Records: USC Upstate (6-10; 1-2 Big South); High Point (10-6; 3-0 Big South)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened
Proving the catalyst for the team's comeback attempt, Upstate saw two players post 15-plus kills in the same match for the first time during Big South play—and the first time since Sep. 14 versus Davidson. Junior right-side hitter Savannah Page turned in a career effort, leading the Spartans with a career-high 18 kills and .364 hitting efficiency while senior outside hitter Ashleigh Nicoll ended the night a kill off her career-high, registering 17 terminations on the night.
 
The duo spurred the Spartan comebacks in the third and fourth set with a combined 19 kills and .349 hitting percentage in the two periods. Page posted a pair of four-kill sets in the comeback—following a six-kill set two—with Nicoll turning in four kills in set three and seven kills in set four. Joining the duo in double-figures in the kill column of the box score, junior middle blocker Ady O'Grady recorded 11 kills.
 
Setting the pace of the Upstate offense, freshman setter Kamyla Vega David tied a career-high as she passed out 48 assists on the night, reaching the 40-plus assist mark for the fourth time in 2024. She complemented her assist total with 17 digs, securing her 10^th career double-double.
 
Backing the team's offense, Upstate's floor defense finished the night with 98 digs, an average of 19.6 digs per set, with four Spartans plucking up double-digit balls. Senior libero Julia Gladhill led the way with a match-best 29 digs—her fifth career match with 25-plus digs—joining the 1,000-Dig Club in the process. Rounding out the quartet with Gladhill and Vega David, redshirt senior defensive specialist Caroline Cleveland and freshman defensive specialist Hannah Campell picked up 19 and 11 digs, respectively.
 
Notable

• Sending Friday's match to five sets, Upstate pushed High Point to a fifth set for the first time in the 12-match series. The match also marked the first Big South Conference match since Nov. 2022 to see the Panthers facing a fifth set.
• Picking up 29 digs against the Panthers, Julia Gladhill becomes the 16^th overall and ninth D1 era member of the program's 1,000-Dig Club. She also becomes the second straight Spartan to join the club behind a 25-plus dig match, following Mackenzie Marcum (27 digs) who joined the club on Nov. 19, 2021.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Closing out its first home weekend during Big South Conference play, Upstate ends its two-match homestand hosting Radford Saturday. First serve for the team's fourth league match is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
 
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