CHARLESTON – Charleston Southern volleyball opened the Lowcountry Volleyball Championship with a dominant 3-0 (25-23, 25-9, 25-22) sweep of South Carolina State on Thursday afternoon at McAlister Field House.
The Buccaneers improved to 3-1 on the season with the victory, while the Bulldogs fell to 1-3. Charleston Southern controlled the match offensively from start to finish, hitting .381 as a team while recording 43 kills and just six attack errors across the three sets.
The opening set proved to be the most competitive of the afternoon. The Bucs and Bulldogs traded points throughout the frame, with nine ties and four lead changes. Charleston Southern eventually created separation late, taking a 23-21 lead before South Carolina State pulled within one. A Bulldogs service error gave the Bucs set point at 24-23, and another South Carolina State service error closed out the opening frame, 25-23.
Charleston Southern took complete control in the second set. After South Carolina State scored the opening point, the Bucs rattled off eight consecutive points to build an 8-1 advantage. The Bulldogs never recovered as Charleston Southern continued to stretch its lead, eventually taking a 22-6 advantage before closing the set, 25-9. The Bucs hit an impressive .464 in the frame, recording 15 kills against just two errors.
The Bulldogs pushed back in the third, jumping out to a 6-2 lead before Charleston Southern steadily chipped away. The Bucs eventually tied the set at 14-14 before taking their first lead at 15-14. The teams remained within two points of one another through the closing stages, but Charleston Southern scored three of the final four points to secure the 25-22 set victory and complete the sweep.
Notables:
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Emma Bednarek led the Buccaneers with seven kills on 10 attempts, hitting an impressive .600 while adding three total blocks and a service ace for 10.5 points.Â
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Dillia Lowry was nearly flawless offensively, recording six kills on seven attempts with zero errors for an outstanding .857 hitting percentage.Â
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Tristin Sutton directed the Buccaneers' offense with 28 assists, helping Charleston Southern hit .381 as a team.Â
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Adeline Wieler anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 10 digs, while also contributing a kill, assist, service ace and block.Â
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Emersyn Reiter and Faith Burch each added five kills, while Reiter also contributed five digs and a block.Â
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Brynn Minter finished with four kills and three block assists, while Grace Smith added four kills while hitting .600.Â
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As a team, Charleston Southern recorded 43 kills, eight total blocks and four service aces while holding South Carolina State to a .168 hitting percentage.Â
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Adeline entered the starting lineup for the first time in her collegiate career.
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Braelynn Brewington and Ola Matusiak made their first appearances of the 2026 season.
Up Next:
Tomorrow, September 4th, Charleston Southern will take on the College of Charleston at 3:00 PM during day two of the Lowcountry Volleyball Championship hosted by The Citadel.
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