BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Charleston Southern opened their pair of road weekend matches with a Friday night contest at Gardner-Webb. The Buccaneers started off hot winning the first and third sets, but the Runnin' Bulldogs came out on top in five sets to hold off the visitors from avenging their previous loss.
Gardner-Webb took a big 11-6 opening lead in the first set to take control of the overall match early. The Buc were able to respond and flip a 13-7 deficit into a 15-14 lead and get back into it. The teams continued to go back and forth and were able to score seven of the final eight points and win the opening frame 25-18.
In the second, the 'Dogs were able to build another early lead that the Bucs were able to cut into and eventually take a 15-14 lead in at the midway point. The hosts then got rolling again as they had a trio of 3-0 runs to close out the set and tie the overall match at 25-18.
The third saw Charleston Southern be the ones to have the large early lead, getting ahead at 10-4, later 13-7. Gardner-Webb was able to slowly cut into the lead and eventually used a 4-0 run to tie the set and take their first lead in it at 22-21. GWU forced set point at 24-22, but the Bucs were able to fight through strong swings by the Runnin' Bulldogs and create some offense of their own to win 27-25.
Gardner-Webb took the big edge again in the fourth, leading 11-6. Charleston Southern was able to bring it within two at one point, the 'Dogs did not let go and were able to force a fifth set as they won it 25-18.
In the decisive fifth set, the teams went back and forth, battling for every point, with it being tied all the way up to 9-9. Gardner-Webb was able to piece together a pair of late 3-0 scoring runs and was able to hang on the victory with the final score for it being 15-10.
Emmy Rollins led the team in kills as she had 14 on the night.
Jyriah Morgan and
Skylar Yates both finished with ten kills to round out the trio of Buccaneers to finish in double figures. Morgan and Rollins each had career-best in their hitting percentages with at least ten attacks as they posted clips of .529 and .387.
Ilaria Durante lead the team in kills as she had 24 with
Mallory Neale collecting 12. Durante sits just 24 assists away from 1000 now for her career. Yates added a trio of service aces while
Presley Morris had two on the night.
Presley Morris served as the team's starting libero for the first time tonight. She finished with a career-best 25 digs on the night. Yates finished the night with 15 digs and had Neale right behind her with 12.
As a team, Charleston Southern finished with ten total blocks on the night. Pais-Marden and Morgan each finished with five total blocks on the night with Pais-Marden's tying a career-high while Morgan's set a career-high.
Charleston Southern returns to action on Saturday as they will face Winthrop (7-1) in Rock Hill, S.C. at 2:00 p.m. The first time that the teams faced off this season, the Eagles were pushed to the limit as they escaped from the Buc Dome with a narrow five-set victory.
