University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
1-0,0-0Big South
Old Dominion
0-1,0-0Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USC Upstate | 22 | 25 | 19 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| Old Dominion | 25 | 23 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 2 |
Volleyball Completes Comeback, Beating Old Dominion in Five Sets
8/28/2026 1:16:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
NORFOLK, Va. – USC Upstate volleyball opened the 2026 season in dramatic fashion Friday, battling back twice before taking down Old Dominion in five sets, 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 19-25, 25-17, 15-11), at the ODU Volleyball Center.
After falling behind two sets to one, the Spartans found another gear down the stretch. Upstate delivered its best offensive set of the afternoon in the fourth, hitting .464 before carrying the momentum into the deciding fifth set to secure its first victory of the season.
Senior Summer Kohler paced the Spartan attack with a team-high 16 kills while adding 18 digs, three block assists and two service aces for 19.5 points. Kensley Haneline was highly efficient in her Upstate debut, putting away 13 kills with just two errors on 25 attacks for a match-best .440 hitting percentage. She also contributed seven block assists, finishing with 16.5 points.
Tien Murray helped control the net throughout the match, recording eight kills and a team-high three solo blocks to go along with five block assists. Tehillah Garrison chipped in six kills, four block assists and two aces, while Sophia Spivey added six kills and three block assists.
The Spartans received strong contributions throughout the lineup. Preseason Libero of the Year Sophia Overholt anchored the back row with a match-high 24 digs, while Kamyla Vega David directed the offense with 35 assists, 14 digs, four service aces and two block assists. Sarah O'Connor added 12 assists as Upstate finished with 53 assists on its 57 kills.
Old Dominion grabbed the early advantage with a 25-22 victory in the opening set, but the Spartans answered immediately. Upstate evened the match by taking a tightly contested second set, 25-23. The Monarchs regained control with a 25-19 third-set victory, putting the Spartans one set away from defeat.
Upstate responded with its most dominant stretch of the match.
The Spartans committed just one attacking error in the fourth set, totaling 14 kills on 28 swings for a .464 hitting percentage. That offensive surge helped Upstate pull away for a 25-17 victory and force a decisive fifth set.
With the match on the line, the Spartan defense took over. Upstate held Old Dominion to five kills and forced six attacking errors in the fifth, leaving the Monarchs with a -.043 hitting percentage. The Spartans countered with seven kills of their own and closed out the comeback with a 15-11 victory.
Upstate finished the afternoon with advantages in kills (57-54), hitting percentage (.168-.145), assists (53-52), service aces (11-9), digs (79-73) and total blocks (15-10). The Spartans' work at the net proved particularly important as Upstate accumulated three solo blocks and 24 block assists.
Old Dominion was led by Elisa Maggi's 19 kills, while Leilani Lawrence finished with 16 kills, 19 digs and seven service aces.
Notable
- USC Upstate opens the 2026 season 1-0 following the five-set victory.
- Kohler recorded a double-double with 16 kills and 18 digs.
- Haneline hit a team-best .440 with 13 kills and seven block assists in her Spartan debut.
- Overholt led all players with 24 digs.
- Vega David posted a 35-assist, 14-dig double-double while serving a match-high four aces for Upstate.
- The Spartans finished with 15 total blocks, five more than Old Dominion.
- Upstate hit .464 in the fourth set, committing just one attacking error.
- The Spartan defense held ODU to a -.043 hitting percentage in the fifth set.
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