CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern and Asheville staged a dramatic five-set match Friday at CSU Field House, with the Bulldogs prevailing, 3-2 (24-26, 25-23, 22-25, 27-25, 15-12). The Lady Bucs received several career-best performances during the match.

The Lady Bucs registered a season-high 73 kills, hitting .246 as a team. CSU also added 78 digs and 12.5 team blocks. The last time CSU surpassed 70 kills in a match was Oct. 2, 2009, when the team recorded 77 kills at Asheville. On Friday, the Bulldogs posted 71 kills, 70 digs and nine team blocks.

Senior Amanda Hill posted a career-high 31 kills in the match, hitting .349. Hill moved into 9th place in Big South history, passing Radford's Anne Jackson (1994-97), and now has 1,678 career kills. She also added 21 digs for her 13th double-double of the season. Her 31 kills are a Big South single-match record under the current 25-point rally-scoring format, breaking her own mark of 29, set Sept. 7 vs. UNC-Wilmington.

Senior Cori Holeman tied her career high with 15 kills, connecting at a .393 clip. She added seven block assists on the night, and moved into 7th place in program history in total blocks. Redshirt junior Amy Nokes dished out a match-high and career-high 58 assists, the most since Sam Sasan earned 64 assists at Asheville last Oct. 2. Nokes also contributed four blocks.

Friday marked the fifth meeting in a row in which CSU (6-13, 1-5 Big South) and UNCA (12-7, 5-1) have required five sets to decide the winner, and the first Asheville win at CSU Field House since 2006.

The Bulldogs trailed 2-1 after three sets, and CSU held a 23-21 advantage in set four when the momentum shifted in the visitors' favor. Hill had earned her sixth and seventh kills of the set to gain the two-point edge. However, UNCA responded with three straight points, on kills by Kelsey Benorden and Holly Shelton, earning set point for the Bulldogs at 24-23. CSU fought off two set points, but UNCA tied the match with a 27-25 victory in set four.

The Bulldogs took an 8-6 lead into the changeover during set five, and built their lead to four at 14-10 with four set-point chances. A sideout gave the Lady Bucs life, and CSU sliced the deficit to two at 14-12 before UNCA clinched the match on a kill by Cindi Miller.

Senior Amberle Trinder recorded nine kills and three blocks, while Tricia Rodl led all players with 24 digs. Rodl passed the 1,200 dig mark in her career, the fourth Lady Bucs player to surpass 1,200 career digs. Crissy Skokan registered four blocks, while Kayla Klinger collected 12 digs.

Benorden and Miller fueled Asheville's attack with 23 kills apiece. Benorden and Miller each earned double-doubles, with 13 and 10 digs, respectively. Shelton added 11 kills, while Hallie Morse and Rachel Guinane split the setting duties, with 28 and 27 assists, respectively.

CSU claimed victory in set one, 26-24, rebounding at the end of the set, with kills by Skokan and Hill sealing the opening-set victory. The Lady Bucs led 21-18 before UNCA mounted a 5-0 run to take a 23-21 advantage. A pair of Hill winners during a 3-0 rally gave the Lady Bucs their first set-point chance.

The Bulldogs earned a close, 25-23 victory in the second set, pulling away for a 24-20 lead. CSU received the next three points, closing the gap to one at 24-23 on the third successive UNCA attack error. Cindi Miller then ended set two with a kill, sending the teams to intermission tied at one set apiece.

Charleston Southern gained separation in set three, and led 22-20 before the Bulldogs pulled into a tie at 22-22. A pair of kills by Holeman and a triple block gave the Lady Bucs a 25-22 victory and 2-1 lead in the match.

The Lady Bucs will next play host to Savannah State Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. at CSU Field House. SSU holds a 2-17 record following a 3-1 loss at Clark Atlanta Friday.

Quotes from CSU Head Coach Danyel Bellush:
"It was a well-fought match against an awesome Asheville team. I know how hard they work. I know how hard (Asheville Head Coach) Julie (Torbitt) works. It's always awesome to see everybody show up on the same night and play a great match like we did. The past couple of years, it's been back and forth. I just love competing against them. I saw a lot of good things tonight. We still have work to do, but we get to work hard when we get a chance to play again. Give credit to Asheville tonight. They made it happen."

CSU vs. Asheville Match Highlights