SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Beginning a five-game homestand, USC Upstate volleyball embarked on another back-and-forth battle as the Spartans saw its match head to a fifth set for the ninth time in 2024 Friday night at the G.B. Hodge Center. Fighting until the final points in a match that saw 25 ties and nine lead changes, Upstate fell to Presbyterian in a tightly contested final stanza.
Setting the tone for the match early, Upstate fought back with a late charge in the opening game, nearly overtaking Presbyterian late in the stanza. The Spartans, however, turned its late-set momentum into victories in the second and third sets to take a 2-1 lead into the fourth set. The Blue Hose held off another late rally from the Spartans in the fourth frame before doing so again in the fifth, escaping with the victory.
Leading the Spartans with 18 kills, graduate student outside hitter
Allison Palmi reached the 1,000-kill plateau for her career, finishing the night with exactly 1,000 kills during her collegiate career. The Incarnate Word transfer became the first Spartan since Emily Koelling in 2016, to reach the career milestone in an Upstate uniform. Palmi's 18 kills Friday evening tied a season high.
Game Information
Score: Presbyterian 3; USC Upstate 2 (25-22; 17-25; 19-25; 25-23; 15-11)
Records: USC Upstate (9-13; 4-5 Big South); Presbyterian (7-16; 3-7 Big South)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
How It Happened
Seeing four players register double-digit kills, Upstate recorded 70 kills on the night, hitting the 70-kill threshold as a team for the first time since the 2019 season. Palmi headed the quartet of Spartans with double-digit digs as she tied her season-high with 18 kills. Fifth-year senior outside hitter
Ali Jansen, junior right-side hitter
Savannah Page, and junior middle blocker
Alona Clinansmith rounded out the group, collecting 15, 14, and 11 terminations, respectively. On the night, all five primary attackers recorded seven-plus kills for Upstate while its setter also chipped in five kills.
Adding to her five kills, senior setter
Kayla Spangler passed out a season-best 48 assists as she led the Spartans' offense to a .241 hitting efficiency. She also plucked up a career-high 18 digs to record her eighth-career double-double. Tying her season-high with 10 digs, complementing her 14 kills, Page also registered her eight-career double-double in the match with both of her double-doubles in 2024 coming against Presbyterian.
Joining Page and Spangler with double-figure digs, senior libero
Julia Gladhill and redshirt senior defensive specialist
Caroline Cleveland scooped up 22 and 10 digs, respectively, finishing the quartet.
Elsewhere defensively, Upstate turned away 10 Blue Hose attack attempts, recording 10.0 team total blocks on the night. The match marks the fourth this season and second against Presbyterian with 10.0 team total blocks. Clinansmith led the Spartans with a career-high-tying five total blocks while Page also tied a career-high with four total blocks.
Notable
- With her 18 kills versus Presbyterian, Allison Palmi totals 1,000 kills in her collegiate career, combining her 786 kills at Incarnate Word with her 214 at USC Upstate to create her career total. She becomes the first Spartan since Emily Koelling in 2016 to reach 1,000 career kills in an Upstate uniform.
- Recording 70 kills as a team, Upstate totaled 70-plus kills in a match for the first time since Sept. 20, 2019, versus Alabama A&M.
Up Next for the Spartans
Returning to action and closing out the weekend, USC Upstate welcomes Charleston Southern Saturday afternoon to the G.B. Hodge Center. The match features a 4 p.m. ET first serve and sees the Spartans honor its eight seniors ahead of the tilt.
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