SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Taking to its home court for the first time during the 2024 season, USC Upstate volleyball brandished another historic performance, witnessing another Division I era (2007-pres.) record fall as it hosted Furman at the G.B. Hodge Center for the first time in the era.
 
Seeking their first win over the Paladins, the Spartans kept up 119 balls, an average of 23.8 digs per set, besting the program's D1 era record by five balls—114 digs versus North Florida on Oct. 18, 2014. Upstate's single match dig total stands as the most digs by a single team in a match this season, eclipsing the previous mark of 113 (over four sets) set by Western Illinois versus Milwaukee on Aug. 31.
 
 The Spartans, behind the strength of their floor defense and service pressure, captured the first two sets by scores of 25-18 and 25-19, respectively, before Furman battled back to take the remaining three periods 25-16, 25-23, and 15-9 to earn the victory.
 
Game Information
Score: Furman 3; USC Upstate 2 (18-25; 19-25; 25-16; 25-23; 15-9)
Records: USC Upstate (0-4; 0-0 Big South); Furman (2-2; 0-0 SoCon)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened
Proving why she brought home Big South Libero of the Week honors, the reigning award winner Julia Gladhill led Upstate with a match and season-best 29 digs as the senior libero scooped up the second-most balls in a single match in her career with her seventh career 20-plus dig match. Joining Gladhill north of the 20-dig benchmark, redshirt senior defensive specialist Caroline Cleveland plucked up 25 balls.
 
Adding three more players with double-digit digs, the Spartans saw three players record a double-double in the same match since Nov. 5, 2021, as freshman setter Kamyla Vega David, graduate student outside hitter Allison Palmi, and redshirt freshman outside hitter Bri Brathol registered 19, 18, and 11 digs, respectively. Brathol led the match with 16 kills, Palmi added 13 terminations, and Vega David passed out a career-high 48 assists completing their respective double-doubles.
 
Another Spartan reaching double-figure kills in the match, junior middle blocker Ady O'Grady buried 14 kills while turning away four Furman shots (one solo block and three block assists). Pacing Upstate's defense at the point of attack, junior middle blocker Alona Clinansmith and Vega David recorded a career-high five blocks. For Clinansmith, her total included five block assists with Vega David posting a solo block and four block assists.
 
Rounding out a career day in the box score, Vega David paced the Spartan service with a career-best five winners, earning the most service aces by a Spartan and Big South player in a match this season.
 
Notable

• Averaging 23.8 digs per set against Furman, Upstate picked up a Division I era (2007-pres.) single-match program record 119 balls. The total surpasses the previous high-water mark of 114 scooped up by the Spartans on Oct. 18, 2014, versus North Florida.
• Upstate's single-match dig total stands as the most team digs in a single match in the NCAA this season.
• Seeing three players record double-doubles, Wednesday's match is the first for Upstate since Nov. 5, 2021, to see three or more Spartans register a double-double.
• With five service aces landed versus the Paladins, Kamyla Vega David totaled the most aces in a single match by a Big South player this season.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Coming off the team's first midweek contest of the season, USC Upstate returns to action this weekend with an excursion to the South Carolina Lowcountry. The Spartans head to the College of Charleston for the CofC Invitational for matches with Pacific, College of Charleston, and Yale.
 
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