CHARLESTON – Saturday morning, Charleston Southern took on a team they have now faced 65 times in program history, the South Carolina State Bulldogs. CSU would win the 65th meeting in three sets (25-21, 25-16, 25-19). The 11:00 AM match-up would be the Bucs' final contest at the 2025 Bash at the Beach event hosted by Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Set one of the Palmetto State match-up featured 11 lead changes or ties. In the second set, an 8-2 CSU run would grow the Buccaneer lead to 23-15. A kill by true freshman Emersyn Reiter would seal set number one in Charleston Southern's favor. The hitting-duo of Oliwia Durka and Skylar Yates, who had great success both offensively and defensively on day one of the event, would combine for 7 of the Bucs' 15 kills in the match's first period.
Kylee Roberts would see the court for the first time of the weekend to start set number two. The Tampa-native had not seen the court since CSU's August 30th face-off with The Citadel – a match where Roberts recorded a career-high 5 kills in only two sets. Despite holding an early 5-2 lead in set number two, SC State's lead would never grow beyond that early advantage. CSU would rattle off a 9-0 run giving the Buccaneers an 11-5 lead. A Bulldog run would tie things up at 12, but Charleston Southern would not look back. A 6-1 run to end the set would give CSU a 2-0 lead in the match – Bucs win set number two, 25-16.
Several Buccaneer reserves, including Manon Braunsteffer, Naya Martinez, Ola Matusiak, Emersyn Reiter, Kylee Roberts would see action in the match's third and final set. SCSU would hold the lead for the majority of the set's first half, taking the 4-3 advantage and not being caught by CSU until the Bucs scored their 19th point (a kill by Skylar Yates). A 10-1 run would end the match for Head Coach Carry Brown's Buccaneers as they picked up their fifth win of the season and 63rd all-time victory over the SC State Bulldogs.
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Notables:
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Finishing the Bash at the Beach event with a 2-1 record, the Buccaneers were awarded two spots on the 2025 All-Bash at the Beach Team. The honorees for this event's all-tournament team were selected using a formula that included feedback from all four coaching staffs at the event. The two Buccaneers selected were Tristin Sutton and Skylar Yates.
During the two day event, Sutton dished out 69 assists (team 1st), 30 digs (team T-2nd), 6 service aces (team 2nd), and 6 kills. Yates recorded 42 kills (team 1st), a 0.314 attacking percentage, 30 digs (team T-2nd), 8 service aces (team 1st), and 51.0 points (team 1st).
When asked about the two of her Bucs who were awarded, Head Coach Carry Brown noted consistency as a common denominator between both Sutton and Yates.
"Skylar was our steady presence in the storm – consistently reliable in every set. She made an impact not only offensively, but defensively as well, truly earning every point she contributed this weekend." Brown continued about Sutton, "Tristin commanded the court with a sense of calmness and urgency, creating the perfect environment for our hitters to thrive. As only a sophomore, her potential is high, and we are excited to continue to grow and develop her on and off the volleyball court."
Regarding the weekend as a whole, Brown commented, "This weekend provided us with plenty of learning opportunities… The girls are discovering more about their capabilities and growing in confidence. I'm pleased with our 2-1 finish. It's a solid step forward and great preparation for our upcoming matches and conference play."
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Up Next:
For their final tournament of non-conference play, the Bucs will head to Clemson University to compete in the 2025 Big Orange Bash. CSU will begin the event with a face off against the Norfolk State Spartans on Thursday, September 18th at 4:00 PM. That Friday, September 19th, the Buccaneers will play the Georgetown Hoyas at 1:30 PM and the hosting Clemson Tigers at 7:00 PM. The only match scheduled to be broadcast is the Bucs' match-up with Clemson. The 7:00 PM match is slated to be on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).
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