ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Kicking off the beginning of a new season as Big South Conference play commenced Friday evening for USC Upstate volleyball, the Spartans matched up against their partners in the Ingles I-26 Rivalry Series, UNC Asheville, producing another classic in the tightly-contested series. Upstate, entering a portion of its slate where every contest is a grind, fought back from a two-sets-to-none deficit at the break to push the match to five sets and extra points before falling late in the final frame.
 
Game Information
Score: UNC Asheville 3; USC Upstate 2 (25-19; 25-19; 21-25; 20-25; 20-18)
Records: USC Upstate (7-7; 0-1 Big South); UNC Asheville (4-10; 1-0 Big South)
Location: Justice Center | Asheville, N.C.
 
How It Happened
As has become a regular occurrence in the Ingles I-26 Rivalry Series, USC Upstate's defensive backline, for the second time in the last three meetings with the Bulldogs, dug up over 100 balls, finishing with another top-10 single-match dig total in the team's Division I era (2007-pres.) against UNC Asheville. The Spartans collected 109 digs as five Spartans concluded the evening with double-digit digs, a first for the Spartans since Nov. 12, 2024, versus the same Bulldogs.
 
For the first time in its latest campaign, Upstate saw two players record 20 or more digs as freshman libero Sophia Overholt and freshman outside hitter Summer Kohler dug 23 and 22 balls, respectively, with Kohler's total representing a career-high. Posting a career-best total of her own, sophomore defensive specialist Brielle Ellis picked up 19 balls, just missing joining Overholt and Kohler on the 20-dig plateau. Sophomore setter Kamyla Vega David and sophomore defensive specialist Hannah Campbell rounded out the quintet with 17 and 14 digs, respectively.
 
At the net, the Spartan defense notched its best single-match blocking total of the 2025 season—best since Aug. 30, 2024, versus Robert Morris—with 13.0 team total blocks. The Big South's active leader in career total blocks, senior middle blocker Ady O'Grady reached the 300-block mark for her career behind a match-high nine total blocks. She becomes the third player in the D1 era to hit the milestone, joining Emily Koelling (323) and Morgan Thomas (315).
 
Adding to their respective dig totals, Kohler and Vega David each notched a double-double for the Spartans, doing so in the same match for the fourth time this season. Kohler secured hers by complementing her 22 digs with 14 kills while Vega David supplemented her 17 digs with a career-high-tying 55 assists.
 
Four Spartans registered double-digit terminations headlined by a match-best 16 from O'Grady. Kohler and freshman middle blocker Kensley Haneline recorded 14 kills apiece with junior right-side hitter Katia Nikolic chipping in a career-best 10 kills.
 
Notable

• Collecting a season-high nine total blocks Friday evening, Ady O'Grady pushed her career total block number to 300, becoming the third Spartan in the program's Division I era (2007-pres.) to reach the milestone. She joins Emily Koelling (2013-16) and Morgan Thomas (2008-11) in hitting the milestone in the era.
• Adding 16 kills against the Bulldogs, O'Grady upped her career kill total to 858, passing Kelsie Queen (2008-11) for fourth-place on the program's D1 era career kills leaderboard. She begins her quest for the third spot on the leaderboard, needing to break the 1000-kill barrier, sitting 142 kills from the mark.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
As Big South Conference play gets underway, USC Upstate returns to the G.B. Hodge Center for the first time during league play, hosting a pair of matches next Friday and Saturday. The Spartans welcome Presbyterian and Charleston Southern to Spartanburg with match times set for 6 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET, respectively.
 
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Morgan Square Madness    
South Carolina's ONLY outdoor basketball tip-off event returns October 2nd at a new location, Fifth Third Park! Free community event, just reserve your FREE ticket online and learn more about South Carolina's only outdoor basketball tip-off event at www.upstatespartans.com/madness.  Morgan Square Madness powered by Ingles kicks off Family & Alumni Weekend at USC Upstate, for details on the entire weekend, click here.