BUIES CREEK, N.C.-Sarah Hill
and Emily Werner combined for 24 points on 21 kills, two aces and a
block to lead Campbell over USC Upstate 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-19)
in Atlantic Sun volleyball action Thursday afternoon inside the
John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center.
The Camels improve to 5-13
overall with a 3-6 A-Sun mark, while the Spartans fall to 6-12 and
3-7 in the league.
In the first set, Hill, a
junior playing outside hitter, connected on six kills without an
error, adding six digs as well to lead the Camels to a 25-18 win.
While Werner and senior Katie Stallings punched in three kills
each, Sophomore libero Elisabeth Ennis and freshman defensive
specialist Lauren Garza aided the CU defense with five digs
each.
Senior outside hitter Jovana
Lubura posted five kills for the Spartans, who committed 10 errors
as a team in the opening stanza.
Hill, Werner and Stallings
added three more kills in the second frame, leading the Camels to a
.375 hitting percentage in the set (13-4-24). After issuing 13
assists in the previous set, freshman setter Hope Leatigaga
registered eight more, while sophomore middle blocker Caitlin Bendy
contributed two of the Camels' seven service aces in the 25-14
win.
The Camels reached their
match high in kills in the final frame, however, notching 17 as a
unit. Werner, a sophomore outside hitter, tallied five, while
Leatigaga, Bendy and junior middle blocker Ashley Weers added a
pair of kills in the 25-19 clincher. Leatigaga, who ended the match
with 34 assists, chipped in 13 helpers in the final set, with Ennis
adding 13 digs.
The Spartans earned just a
.068 rate in the third set, converting nine of 44 attempts with six
errors.
Werner ended the afternoon
with 11 kills and five digs with two block assists and an ace,
while Hill racked up her first double-double of the season with a
14 dig, 10 kill performance. Stallings added six kills in the win
with Weers tacking on five kills and four block assists.
In addition to Leatigaga's 34
assists, the
Newport News, Va. native also grabbed seven digs and four kills
with an ace. Ennis reached a career high in digs with 20, starting
for the first time at libero, while Garza posted nine.
For the Spartans, Lubura led
the way with 11 digs, nine kills and two aces for 11.5 points.
Morgan Thomas, a freshman middle blocker, clocked four kills and
six blocks (three solo, three assisted) for 8.5 points. Freshman
outside hitter Jane Hawryliw also posted four kills while sophomore
Sandra Campbell and junior setter Morgan Bucciferro notched three
for the Spartans.
The Camels will entertain
East Tennessee State this Saturday in a 5 p.m. contest at the Pope
Convocation Center.
