CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern volleyball needed just over an hour on its way to a 3-0 sweep over visiting South Carolina State Tuesday night inside the CSU Fieldhouse. The Buccaneers dominated in picking up the 25-8, 25-10, 25-10 triumph over their in-state opponent, extending the win streak in the series to 31-in-a-row.

EVERYONE PLAYS
All healthy members of the Charleston Southern (2-2) roster saw action with just four players (Angelika Rusin, Emily Struckmeyer, Indigo Young and Ilaria Durante) playing all three sets. Head coach David McFatrich was able to work several combinations, showcasing the depth of this year's squad, as he continues to position the Bucs in the best spot possible during matches.

The contest featured the collegiate debuts for Sophia Kluska and Savannah Freeman. The pair combined to convert 5-of-12 total attacks into kills for a .417 hitting percentage. Fellow freshman Jyriah Morgan joined Struckmeyer, another first-year player, Young and Preseason All-Big South selection Peyton Thompson with a team-best six kills. Struckmeyer paced the squad with a .667 hitting percentage.

DURANTE SETTLING IN
Italian newcomer Durante was the team's primary setter, finishing the night with 30 assists. She also was second among her CSU teammates with seven digs, trailing only Rusin's 15.

FIRST SET ESTABLISHES THE TONE
The Buccaneers wasted little time claiming the upper hand in the contest, racing out to a 13-3 lead behind seven-consecutive points with Durante serving. The series began with a Struckmeyer kill, followed by two-in-a-row from Thompson before Skylar Yates added another. Durante then served back-to-back aces, forcing South Carolina State (0-1) into a timeout, only to be followed by another off the hands of Struckmeyer to widen the gap to double figures.

The Lady Bulldogs closed to within nine at 15-6 but would get no closer as an ensuing service error pushed the deficit back to double figures where it stayed the rest of the way.

NO DOUBT IN SET TWO
CSU carried that momentum with it into the next set, again riding the serving of Durante on its way to a 10-1 start. She was the server for nine-straight points, breaking free from a 1-1 tie. The advantage reached double digits for the first time at 12-2 and stayed that way through the end of the set with the closest margin trimmed back to 12, 15-3.

CLOSING IT OUT IN STYLE
The Bucs left no questions unanswered in the final set, sprinting to an 11-0 lead this time behind the serving of Madison McNally. The graduate transfer from Western Carolina helped guide Charleston Southern to 10-straight points, half of which came on kills, before South Carolina State put its first point on the scoreboard. The visitors cut the margin to nine, 12-3 and 14-5, but they would get no closer.

UP NEXT
CSU hits the road for the first time in 2022 when it travels to Macon, Georgia, for the Mercer Bears Classic, Friday and Saturday. The Buccaneers will square off in a pair of neutral-site contests to begin the weekend, starting at 4:30 p.m. Friday against Queens (N.C.). The event continues Saturday with a 1 p.m. clash against Southern Miss before rounding out against host Mercer at 6 p.m.