BOONE, NC – Freshmen Branagan Fuller and Emily Lindborg each set career-highs with 16 and 10 kills respectively in UNC Greensboro's three-game sweep of The Citadel in the first round of the Southern Conference Volleyball Tournament Thursday afternoon.
UNCG (21-12) won by scores of 30-21, 30-26 and 30-18 to earn its first-ever win in the Southern Conference Tournament. In four previous appearances dating back to 1997, the Spartans had lost four matches, winning just one game out of 13.
Senior Theresa Hart finished with three service aces and eight kills for the Spartans. She has now accumulated a total of 491 kills on the season and has moved into second place on the school's single season kills list.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Nortz added 10 kills, while junior Lauren Keiser chipped in with seven kills and seven digs. Freshman Lisa Fawell had a game-high 51 assists and classmate Catherine Hanners finished with a game-high 12 digs.
Taylor Stanke led The Citadel (10-24) with eight kills, while Rachel Sanders had seven kills and seven digs for the Bulldogs. Emily Hill had 17 assists.
The Citadel had a one point lead on three occasions early in game one. Nortz tied the game up at 9 with a kills and senior Christin Heverly then gave the Spartans the 10-9 lead on a service ace. UNCG rattled off the next three points and held on for the 30-21 win.
After going up 7-2 early in game two, the Spartans' lead slimmed to three after a couple of attach errors. UNCG gained its biggest lead at the 26-20 mark after a Fuller kill and went on to take the game, 30-26.
In game three, the Spartans once again jumped out to an early lead. Fuller collected two kills, while Keiser added a service ace to make it 9-3 early. UNCG went on to dominate the game and finish with the 30-18 win.
UNCG takes on second-seeded Furman on Friday at 4:30 pm.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro def. The Citadel 30-21,30-26,30-18
The Citadel (10-24) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Taylor Stanke 8-1-4; Rachel Sanders 7-1-1; Tiffany Edwards 2-0-1; Crystal Bessler 2-0-1; Emily Hill 2-0-3; Ashley Winter 0-1-0; Kim Cooper 0-0-1; Totals 21-3-7.0. (Assists) - Emily Hill 17. (Dig leaders) - Rachel Sanders 7; Emily Hill 6
UNC Greensboro (21-12) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Branagan Fuller 16-0-1; Emily Lindborg 10-0-1; Kaitlyn Nortz 10-1-1; Theresa Hart 8-3-1; Lauren Keiser 7-1-0; Hilary Overby 3-0-0; Christin Heverly 0-1-0; Catherine Hanners 0-1-0; Totals 54-7-3.0. (Assists) - Lisa Fawell 51. (Dig leaders) - Catherine Hanners 12; Lauren Keiser 7
- UNCG -
