ASHEVILLE, NC – Senior Theresa Hart set a career-high with 27 kills to lead the UNC Greensboro women's volleyball team to a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over UNC Asheville on Saturday afternoon at the UNCA Volleyball Classic at The Justice Center. Later in the day, UNCG fell 3-0 to Cleveland State.
Hart, a first-year transfer from the University of San Francisco, was dynamic all match long against UNCA (1-6) in leading the Spartans back from a 2-0 deficit. She posted the 27 kills on a .346 hitting percentage, while also coming up with 14 digs. In addition, Hart, who already had posted 20 kills in the first three games alone against UNCA, was named to the All-Tournament team.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Nortz provided 11 kills and four blocks, while senior Hilary Overby had 10 kills. Freshman Lisa Fawell handed out a season-high 61 assists, while freshman Catherine Hanners had a team-leading 23 digs.
Alysha Greer led UNCA with 20 kills, while Elif Unlu, the pre-season Big South Player of the Year, provided 11 kills with most of her damage being done in the first two games of the match.
In the fifth and final game, UNCG (6-2) used its momentum from winning the previous two games to grab a quick 9-3 lead. Junior Lauren Keiser later put the Spartans in the driver's seat with a delicately placed shot that gave UNCG a 12-4 advantage. The Spartans held on for the 15-10 win.
The host Bulldogs came out firing in the first game of the day to lead 6-0. The Spartans climbed back to within 7-6 moments later, but could never gain the lead in the opening game. Back-to-back aces by Unlu gave UNCA an 18-10 lead and that advantage remained comfortable for a 30-18 win by hitting at a .448 clip.
UNCG led for the final time 6-5 in game two as the Bulldogs took control with a 12-5 run that gave them a 17-11 advantage. The Spartans never got any closer than four points – 25-21 and 29-25 – before a 30-25 victory put the home team up 2-0 before the intermission.
Coming out of the break, the Spartans showed some resiliency by taking an early lead and holding onto it the rest of the way. Hart took over by putting away eight kills in game three alone, including the final point that put UNCG back into the match with a 30-25 win. Hart paced the team to a .351 hitting percentage in the game.
The fourth game was a tightly played affair with neither team leading by more than three points throughout. Tied 10-10, UNCG led briefly 14-12 but moments later it was tied back up at 16-all and 18-all. An Overby kill gave UNCG its largest lead at that point of the game, 22-19, and a Keiser ace maintained the advantage at 25-22.
However, the game featured four more ties, the final at 28-28 which set up some heroics for the Spartans. Keiser found an open right side for a kill and then Hart set her career-high with the 26th put away of the afternoon to send the match into a deciding fifth game.
UNCG is now 8-5 all-time against UNCA and won its first five-game match of the young season. Also, the Spartans already have more wins this year than last season.
In the first ever meeting with Cleveland State (5-2), the Spartans were forced to come right back on the court and take on the Vikings. Likely feeling the affects of just playing a marathon game, UNCG came out a bit slow and fell 30-13 in game one.
The Spartans played better in games two and three but fell in identical fashion, 30-26, to the Vikings.
Nortz and freshman Branagan Fuller led UNCG with 10 dig apiece.
UNCG plays its home opener against local-rival High Point on Tuesday at Fleming Gym beginning at 7 pm.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro def. UNC Asheville 18-30, 25-30, 30-25, 30-28, 15-10
UNC Greensboro (6-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Theresa Hart 27-1-1; Kaitlyn Nortz 12-1-4; Hilary Overby 10-2-0; Lauren Keiser 8-4-0; Branagan Fuller 6-0-0; Liz Benzschawel 6-0-0; Catherine Hanners 1-1-0; Lisa Fawell 0-0-1; Totals 70-9-4.0. (Assists) - Lisa Fawell 61. (Dig leaders) - Catherine Hanners 23; Theresa Hart 14; Kayleigh Knerr 8.
UNC Asheville (1-6) (Kills-aces-blocks) - GREER, Alysha 20-0-1; UNLU, Elif 11-4-1; WRIGHTENBERRY,Ashley 9-0-3; FICKER, Lauren 7-0-7; McDANIEL, Kaitlyn 7-1-3; BAGGE, Shannen 5-1-5; SCHAFFERT, Mallory 0-4-0; MIOTTO, Raquel 0-3-0; Totals 59-13-10.0. (Assists) - McDANIEL, Kaitlyn 39. (Dig leaders) - MIOTTO, Raquel 23; UNLU, Elif 9; McDANIEL, Kaitlyn 8.
Cleveland State def. UNC Greensboro 30-13, 30-26, 30-26
UNC Greensboro (6-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Kaitlyn Nortz 10-1-1; Branagan Fuller 10-0-0; Theresa Hart 5-1-0; Lauren Keiser 5-0-3; Liz Benzschawel 2-0-2; Lisa Fawell 1-1-0; Catherine Hanners 1-0-1; Hilary Overby 0-1-0; Totals 34-4-4.0. (Assists) - Lisa Fawell 30. (Dig leaders) - Catherine Hanners 9; Hilary Overby 5
Cleveland State (5-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - KOROVICH, Alexis 11-0-1; RAMMINGER, Jenni 10-1-2; SIEFKER, Danielle 9-0-2; FAZIO, Liz 8-0-1; GREULICH, Beth 7-0-1; SNYDER, Mel 1-0-1; STEINLE, Seanna 1-0-0; BATEMAN, Jordan 0-2-0; Totals 47-3-4.0. (Assists) - SNYDER, Mel 42. (Dig leaders) - BATEMAN, Jordan 15; FAZIO, Liz 9
- UNCG -
