SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Closing the front half of the team's Big South Conference schedule, USC Upstate volleyball fought back from a two-set deficit for the third time in its past four matches, pushing Saturday's contest versus High Point to a fourth set. The Spartans, however, were unable to get the match to a fifth set, succumbing to the Panthers in four, but forced extra points in sets two and four.
Game Information
Score: High Point 3; USC Upstate 1 (25-17; 27-25; 21-25; 28-26)
Records: USC Upstate (11-9; 4-3 Big South); High Point (9-8; 6-1 Big South)
Location: G.B. Hodge Center | Spartanburg, S.C.
How It Happened
Following the lead of freshman libero
Sophia Overholt and her career-best performance Friday, freshman outside hitter
Summer Kohler fashioned one of her own Saturday against the Panthers, finishing with a career-high-tying kill total for the third time this year and the second straight Saturday match. She closed with 19 terminations behind a .319 hitting efficiency, helping propel the Spartans' comeback attempt with 10 kills in the fourth set.
Senior middle blocker
Ady O'Grady joined Kohler in double-figures with 14 kills, recording 10 or more kills for the 10
th straight match, notching a team-best .364 hitting percentage. Just shy of double-digit kills, freshman middle blocker
Kensley Haneline turned in nine kills while junior right-side hitter
Katia Nikolic added eight.
Pacing the team's offense, sophomore setter
Kamyla Vega David totaled 39 assists, complementing her total with a season-high-tying 17 digs for her 12
th double-double of the year. Two additional Spartans dug 10 or more balls as Overholt picked up a match-high 23 balls and sophomore defensive specialist
Hannah Campbell scooped up 13 balls. A pair of players, Kohler and redshirt sophomore outside hitter
Bri Brathol, ended the afternoon just shy of double-figures with nine digs apiece.
In service, Upstate landed seven service aces, securing a fifth consecutive match with six or more winners from the service line. Brathol paced the unit with a career-best four aces while O'Grady added two and Kohler one for the Spartans.
Notable
- Picking up nine kills Saturday afternoon, Kensley Haneline reached the 200-kill plateau on the season, becoming the third Spartan and second Spartan freshman to reach the milestone this year. The 2025 campaign marks the first since 2015 to feature a pair of freshmen with 200-plus kills when Madison Haake (262) and Callie Yeargin (226) both accomplished the feat.
Up Next for the Spartans
Returning to the road, USC Upstate begins the rematch portion of the team's Big South Conference slate next week with trip to Charleston Southern and Presbyterian. The Spartans and Buccaneers meet at 6 p.m. ET Friday before the Spartans and Blue Hose engage at 2 p.m. ET Saturday.
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