SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Following a similar script to its tournament-opening match Thursday, USC Upstate volleyball broke out its brooms again Saturday, earning its second straight non-conference tournament title, winning the Spartan Classic via a sweep of Idaho at the G.B. Hodge Center.
 
The Spartans' victory over the Vandals gives Upstate a pair of tournament sweeps in both non-conference tournaments hosted during head coach Ali Skayhan's tenure at Upstate with the Spartans winning 12 consecutive sets in hosted events.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 3; Idaho 0 (25-19; 25-16; 25-19)
Records: USC Upstate (4-8; 0-0 Big South); Idaho (1-10; 0-0 Big Sky)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
,
How It Happened
Displaying a balanced offensive attack as each of the team's five primary attackers finished the match with eight or more kills, Upstate finished the afternoon with a .333 hitting efficiency, turning in its best team hitting percentage of the season Saturday. Graduate student outside hitter Allison Palmi led all players with 14 kills, fashioning her total behind a .379 hitting percentage, her best single-match hitting efficiency in a Spartan uniform. She started strong out of the game, recording seven of her 14 kills in the opening set.
 
Joining Palmi in double-figures in the kill column of the box score, senior outside hitter Ashleigh Nicoll posted 10 kills and a .321 hitting percentage with junior middle blocker Ady O'Grady, junior right-side hitter Savannah Page, and junior middle blocker Alona Clinansmith finishing just shy of double-digits with nine, nine, and eight kills, respectively.
 
Heading the team's offense, freshman setter Kamyla Vega David passed out 45 assists, averaging 15.0 helpers per set Saturday. Her single-match assist total marks the most assists in a three-set match by a Big South setter this season, representing the third-best total in a three-set match in the NCAA in 2024. She complemented her assist total with eight digs, ending just shy of her fifth straight double-double.
 
Leading the Upstate floor defense, redshirt senior defensive specialist Caroline Cleveland and senior libero Julia Gladhill dug up 12 balls apiece. At the net, O'Grady and Page led the Spartans with three total blocks each.
 
Notable

• With its victory Saturday, Upstate won each match of its hosted tournaments during the Ali-Skayhan era, sweeping all four matches of its hosted events in the past two seasons.
• The Spartans' sweeps at the Spartan Classic represent the first instance of consecutive sweeps for the program since last season's Wofford/Upstate Tournament.
• The Spartans' win Saturday improved its winning streak to four matches, tying the longest winning streak for the team under Skayhan.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
With its final non-conference tournament in the rear-view mirror, Upstate closes out its non-conference slate and continues its season-long homestand Tuesday evening, hosting South Carolina State. First serve between the Spartans and Bulldogs is set for 6 p.m. ET.
 
Connect with the Spartans 
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics 
Twitter | @UpstateVB | @UpstateSpartans 
Instagram | @UpstateVB | @UpstateSpartans 
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
 
INVEST IN CHAMPIONS - Join the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF) and enjoy enhanced benefits for your support of all USC Upstate programs! Make your gift today, click here!
 
MORGAN SQUARE MADNESS (Oct. 3, 2024) - Click here for info on South Carolina's only FREE, open to the public, outdoor basketball tip-off party!  Click here for details for all of Family and Alumni Weekend at USC Upstate, Oct. 3-5!