CLINTON, S.C. – Wrapping the second of four straight matches away from home to begin the second half of Big South Conference play, USC Upstate volleyball secured a split of the weekend, sweeping Presbyterian Saturday afternoon. The win completed a season sweep for the Spartans over the Blue Hose.
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 3; Presbyterian 0 (25-18; 25-20; 25-20)
Records: USC Upstate (12-10; 5-4 Big South); Presbyterian (6-15; 2-7 Big South)
Location: Templeton Center | Clinton, S.C.
How It Happened
Entering Saturday's match as the top two attackers in the Big South Conference in regards to total kills, freshman outside hitter
Summer Kohler and senior middle blocker
Ady O'Grady proved why they sit atop the league leaderboard, pacing the Spartans' offense against the Blue Hose. The duo recorded 12 kills apiece, the lone Upstate attackers in double-figures, as the duo sits in lockstep in total kills this season with O'Grady totaling 291 and Kohler 289.
For Kohler, the match marked her 10
th consecutive match with 10 or more kills, tying O'Grady's previous streak for the longest by a Spartan this year. Saturday also stands as her fifth straight leading the Spartans, the longest such streak of her career.
Just shy of double-figures, freshman middle blocker
Kensley Haneline added nine kills. She also supplemented her kill total with five total blocks, a team high, registering a solo block and four block assists. Freshman right-side hitter
Lauren DeOrio finished just behind with a career-best three total blocks.
Behind the block, freshman libero
Sophia Overholt led the floor defense with a match-best 17 digs, one of two Spartans with 10-plus in the match. Sophomore defensive specialist
Hannah Campbell collected 10 balls while sophomore defensive specialist
Brielle Ellis picked up eight, nearly joining the duo in double-figures.
Notable
- Recording a block assist, Ady O'Grady upped her career total to 324 to break a tie with former Spartan Emily Koelling for the program's Division I era (2007-pres.) for career total blocks. Surpassing Koelling, O'Grady's total ranks ninth on the program's career total block leaderboard with Jan Chapman's (1991-94) total of 335 next on the list.
- Adding 12 kills to her season total, Summer Kohler's 289 terminations rank as the third most by a freshman in the program's Division I era. Recording 17 digs, Sophia Overholt's season total of 350 digs ranks as the fourth most by a freshman in the program's D1 era.
Up Next for the Spartans
Continuing the team's longest road swing of the campaign, USC Upstate returns to the road for a pair of matches at High Point and at Radford as the rematch portion of the team's Big South Conference slate continues. The Spartans and Panthers meet on Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. ET before the Spartans and Highlanders clash on Nov. 1 at 2 p.m.
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