BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Beginning the team's final "preseason" tournament of the 2025 season, USC Upstate volleyball earned a split on the opening day of the Blazer Invitational. The Spartans fought back from a three-set setback to host UAB earlier in the day to claim a four-set victory over North Alabama in the nightcap, securing the split.
 
Game Information (vs. UAB)
Score: UAB 3; USC Upstate 0 (25-12; 25-18; 25-14)
Records: USC Upstate (2-3; 0-0 Big South); UAB (2-2; 0-0 American)
Location: Bartow Arena | Birmingham, Ala.
 
How It Happened (vs. UAB)
Opening the weekend and the Blazer Invitational, the Spartans' match with host UAB turned into a match of firsts for the program as Upstate employed multiple liberos in the starting lineup for the first time. Redshirt sophomore Bri Brathol and sophomore Hannah Campbell drew their first starts in the libero jersey with redshirt junior Emma DeSensi also seeing time in the uniform during the three-set affair.
 
Leading the Upstate defensive effort, DeSensi and freshman outside hitter Summer Kohler each picked up a career-high nine balls, two of three Spartans with eight or more digs in the match. Campbell finished just behind the duo with eight digs to round out the trio.
 
Offensively, freshman middle blocker Kensley Haneline tied her career-high with nine kills, pacing the Spartans in the category, posting her total behind a .333 hitting efficiency. Behind Haneline on the stat sheet, senior middle blocker Ady O'Grady contributed six kills and Kohler five. Vega David passed out 20 assists in the match.
 
Game Information (vs. North Alabama)
Score: USC Upstate 3; North Alabama 1 (18-25; 25-20; 25-23; 25-23)
Records: USC Upstate (3-3; 0-0 Big South); North Alabama (3-3; 0-0 ASUN)
Location: Bartow Arena | Birmingham, Ala.
 
How It Happened (vs. North Alabama)
Battling back to earn a split on the opening day of the Blazer Invitational, Upstate, after seeing no player reach double-figures for the first time this season, responded in a big way, seeing three players hit the milestone in its four-set victory over North Alabama. The Spartans' victory over the Lions marks the club's first match this season with three-plus players recording double-digit kills.
 
Freshman outside hitter Summer Kohler headed the offense, producing a match-best 17 terminations behind a .255 hitting efficiency—the second-best single-match mark (min. 12 kills) of her young career. Middle blockers, senior Ady O'Grady and freshman Kensley Haneline, added 13 and 11 kills, respectively, while junior right-side hitter Katia Nikolic ended a kill shy of her career-high with eight.
 
Complementing her career-best 11 kills, Haneline headlined Upstate's best blocking effort of the new campaign, collecting a career-high eight total blocks—the single-match high for a Spartan this season. As a team, the Spartans recorded a team-high 10.0 blocks with sophomore setter Kamyla Vega David joining Haneline with a career-high total, stuffing five Lion attack attempts.

Notable

• In the team's opener against UAB Friday, Upstate competed using two liberos in the starting lineup for the first time in program history as Bri Brathol and Hannah Campbell earned the nods at the position. The "Two-Libero Rule" was approved for NCAA play ahead of the 2024 season.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Concluding play in the Yellowhammer State, USC Upstate faces Tennessee Tech in the Blazer Invitational finale for both squads Saturday afternoon. The Spartans and Golden Eagles meet at 1 p.m. ET.
 
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