GREENSBORO, NC The UNC Greensboro volleyball team had four players with double-digit kills and digs as they defeated Radford, 3-0 on the opening day of the UNCG/HPU Triad Challenge Friday afternoon. The Spartans went onto win their second match against in-state rival UNC Wilmington, 3-1.
Junior Kaitlyn Nortz led the UNCG offense against Radford and recorded a match-high 13 kills. The Parma, OH native also added five service aces and four block assists. Sophomore Branagan Fuller tallied 12 kills and had one block while Wheaton, IL native, Lisa Fawell recorded a match-high 40 assists.
UNCG rushed out to a 5-1 lead against Radford but the Highlanders were able to rally and cut the lead to 8-7 to keep the game close. The teams went back-and-forth for most of the game and tied at 29 before UNCG took the final two points to win the game.
In the second game, the Spartans grabbed the early lead and held on to win 30-22. UNCG again raced out to an early lead in game three and Radford tried to cut into the lead on several opportunities but the Spartans came out on top and took the final game by a score of 30-18.
Fuller led the offense for the Spartans against UNC Wilmington by tallying a match-high 20 kills along with four service aces and 11 digs. On the defensive end Catherine Hanners led the way with a match-high 20 digs.
UNCG started game one against the Seahawks fast and was able to run out to a early 3-0 lead but the Seahawks battled back and were able to take a play catch-up and tied the game at 20 and then took the next point to take their first lead of the game. The teams went back and forth for the rest of the match but it was UNCW who held on for a 30-28 win.
In the second game the score see-sawed back and forth in the early goings but the Spartans were able to pull ahead 5-4 and never looked back taking the game, 30-17. UNCW kept it close in the third game but weren't able to take any momentum away from UNCG as the Spartans kept the lead the entire game and came away with the 30-20 win. The fourth game was all UNCG as the Spartans opened with a 3-0 run and went on for the 30-13 win.
In other action from the UNCG/HPU Triad Challenge, in the first game of the afternoon, Davidson defeated UNCW, 3-0 with scores of 30-22, 30-24, 30-28. Davidson was led by Sarabeth Peele who tallied a match-high 15 kills and Lindsay Woeste who recorded 16 digs.
UNC Wilmington was led by Rachael Caricato who tallied a team-high 10 kills and Kelli Clear who had 10 digs. The Seahawks recorded 14 blocks in the loss.
Davidson also picked up another win with a 3-0 victory over Radford. The Wildcats took game one 30-22, and won game two 30-24 before taking the match with a 30-28 victory in game three. Peele again led the offense with 16 kills while Woeste tallied 14 digs.
Day two of the tournament will start with an 11 am match between North Carolina A&T and Austin Peay. Austin Peay will be back in action at 4 pm when they take on Radford.
UNCG begins play at 1:30 pm when they take on Austin Peay and will conclude the tournament at 7:00 pm when they take on backyard rival North Carolina A&T in the night cap.
AGATE
Game One
Davidson def. UNC Wilmington 30-22, 30-17, 30-28
Davidson (1-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Sarabeth Peele 15-0-1; Katie Pierucci 12-1-1; Jorden Benedict 9-4-2; Kittery Neale 5-0-3; Brittany Narr 4-0-0; Alison Dwyer 3-0-2; Courtney Cron 1-4-0; Hayley Lawson 1-2-1; Lindsey Woeste 0-1-0; Totals 50-12-5.0. (Assists) Hayley Lawson 42. (Dig leaders) - Lindsey Woeste 16; Katie Pierucci 9
UNC Wilmington (0-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Caricato, Rachael 10-0-4; Nash, Megan 8-0-2; McConnell, Paula 7-1-4; Clear, Kelli 3-0-1; Hogan, Keri 1-2-0; Strucko, Lindsey 1-0-1; Hoeck, Jill 1-1-2; Totals 31-4-7.0. (Assists) - Hoeck, Jill 26. (Dig leaders) - Clear, Kelli 10; Morris, Ashlyn 9; Caricato, Rachael 8
Game Two
UNCG def. Radford 31-29, 30-22, 30-18
RADFORD (0-1, 0-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - CLARY, Lauren 7-0-0; MILLER, Alexis 6-0-1; HANNERS, Josie 5-3-2; HAUBRICH, Heidi 5-1-3; POOLE, Lindsey 4-0-1; DOLAN, Ginny 1-1-0; CLELLAND, Melinda 0-0-3; RUPERT, Lindsay 0-1-0; Totals 28-6-6.0. (Assists) - HANNERS, Josie 19. (Dig leaders) - CLARY, Lauren 14; RUPERT, Lindsay 9
UNCG (1-0, 0-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Kaitlyn Nortz 13-5-4; Branagan Fuller 12-0-1; Katherine Hart 10-2-2; Emily Lindborg 10-0-1; Lisa Fawell 5-0-0; Caley Redden 3-0-3; Lauren Keiser 1-1-0; Catherine Hanners 0-4-0; Totals 54-12-6.0. (Assists)- Lisa Fawell 40. (Dig leaders) - Catherine Hanners 20; Branagan Fuller 11; Lauren Keiser 11; Katherine Hart 10
Game Three
Davidson def. Radford 30-22, 30-24, 30-28
Davidson (2-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Sarabeth Peele 16-3-0; Kittery Neale 15-0-4; Hayley Lawson 8-0-3; Alison Dwyer 7-0-5; Jorden Benedict 6-0-5; Katie Pierucci 6-2-1; Jennifer Chamblee 1-0-0; Totals 59-5-10.0. (Assists) - Hayley Lawson 40. (Dig leaders) Lindsey Woeste 14; Katie Pierucci 13; Courtney Cron 9; Hayley Lawson 8
RADFORD (0-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - POOLE, Lindsey 8-1-0; CLARY, Lauren 8-2-0; MILLER, Alexis 6-0-0; KENT, Kiley 5-0-2; SULLIVAN, Jessica 4-0-1; HAUBRICH, Heidi 2-1-2; CLELLAND, Melinda 2-0-0; HANNERS, Josie 0-1-0; DOLAN, Ginny 0-1-0; Totals 35-6-3.0. (Assists) -KENT, Kiley 25. (Dig leaders) - DOLAN, Ginny 22; CLARY, Lauren 7
Game Four
UNCG def. UNC Wilmington 28-30, 30-17, 30-20, 30-13
UNC Wilmington (0-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Nash, Megan 9-0-1;Caricato, Rachael 7-1-6; McConnell, Paula 6-0-3; Price, Anna 2-0-0; Hoeck, Jill 2-0-3; Strucko, Lindsey 2-0-3; Clear, Kelli 1-2-0; Morris, Ashlyn 0-2-0; Hogan, Keri 0-1-0; Totals 29-6-9.0. (Assists) - Hoeck, Jill 23. (Dig leaders) - Caricato, Rachael 11; Price, Anna 9; Hogan, Keri 9; Morris, Ashlyn 8; Hoeck, Jill 8
UNCG (2-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Branagan Fuller 20-4-1; Emily Lindborg 14-0-4; Kaitlyn Nortz 12-1-3; Katherine Hart 12-0-2; Lauren Keiser 5-3-2; Lisa Fawell 1-4-0; Catherine Hanners 0-6-0; Totals 64-18-7.0. (Assists) - Lisa Fawell 49. (Dig leaders) Catherine Hanners 21; Lauren Keiser 12; Branagan Fuller 11; Lisa Fawell 11; Katherine Hart 9
- UNCG -
