CHARLOTTE, NC The UNC Greensboro volleyball team dropped two five-game matches to conclude action at the Charlotte 49er Invitational on Saturday. The Spartans fell 3-2 to both Coastal Carolina and tournament host Charlotte. Junior Kaitlyn Nortz was named to the All-Tournament team for her efforts throughout the weekend.
Branagan Fuller and Kaitlyn Nortz led the UNCG (5-7) on the offensive side of things. Fuller tallied a double-double against Coastal Carolina with 25 kills and 12 digs while Nortz tallied a team-high 16 kills against Charlotte. Catherine Hanners tallied 29 and 20 digs, respectively.
Against Coastal all five-games were close. Coastal took a 1-0 lead in the match after taking game one by a score of 31-29 but UNCG was able to take a 2-1 match lead with a 30-25 win in game two and a close 30-28 win in game three behind the timely hitting of Fuller.
The Chanticleers would mount a comeback in the fourth game and jumped out to a three-point lead midway through the game behind the hitting of Jill Hyhof and were able to even the match with a 30-24 win.
The fifth game featured several lead changes down the stretch but in the end miscues by the Spartans would give Coastal the game 15-13 and the match 3-2.
In the late game, Charlotte rolled out to an early 2-0 lead behind the heavy hitting of Cori Dayton who tallied 16 kills in the victory. UNCG was able to cut into the lead with a 30-23 win in game four. Caley Redden was able to come up with critical kills to give the Spartans the win. A 30-25 win in game four forced the decisive fifth game.
The score see-sawed back-and-fourth in the extra period but a late run by the Charlotte was too much for the Spartans to overcome as they dropped their second-consecutive five-game match.
UNCG returns to Fleming Gymnasium on September 11 when they host Winston-Salem State. First serve is set for 7 pm.
AGATE
Game One
Coastal Carolina def. UNCG 31-29,25-30,28-30,30-24,15-13
Coastal Carolina (3-6) (Kills-aces-blocks) - NYHOF, Jill 20-0-3; BICKFORD, Megan 19-2-6; WOLF, Kristin 13-0-1; THOMPSON, Nakia 12-0-7; RUSSELL, Amanda 9-0-5; TRACEY, Meagan 4-3-5; STARBUCK, Brett 1-0-0; POLLARD, Megan 0-2-0; Totals 78-7-14.0. (Assists) - TRACEY, Meagan 64. (Dig leaders) - POLLARD, Megan 21; STARBUCK, Brett 19; WOLF, Kristin 16; TRACEY, Meagan 8
UNCG (5-6) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Branagan Fuller 25-4-1; Kaitlyn Nortz 20-1-4; Emily Lindborg 14-0-3; Lauren Keiser 10-3-1; Katherine Hart 4-0-0; Lisa Fawell 2-2-4; Caley Redden 2-0-1; Kayleigh Knerr 1-1-0; Kayren Finney 1-0-0; Kimiko Naito 0-1-0; Totals 79-12-7.0. (Assists) - Lisa Fawell 59. (Dig leaders) - Catherine Hanners 20; Lauren Keiser 19; Branagan Fuller 12
Game Two
Charlotte 49ers def. UNCG 30-22,30-21,23-30,25-30,15-12
UNCG (6-6) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Kaitlyn Nortz 16-0-4; Caley Redden 11-0-3; Katherine Hart 8-2-4; Branagan Fuller 6-0-0; Lauren Keiser 5-1-1; Billi Baker 4-0-1; Emily Lindborg 4-0-4; Kayren Finney 3-0-3; Alissa Beaudway 2-0-0; Lisa Fawell 0-0-1; Totals 59-3-11.0. (Assists) - Lisa Fawell 43. (Dig leaders) - Catherine Hanners 29; Lisa Fawell 10; Kayleigh Knerr 8
Charlotte 49ers (7-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - DAYTON, Cori 16-1-4; WEBB, Jennifer 11-2-5; HICKS, Kathleen 11-0-4; ARROYO, Alma 9-3-1; RAMOS, Eden 7-1-1; RAKER, Kara 2-0-1; BARBANELL, Priscilla 2-0-0; COWLES, Courtney 1-2-0; Totals 59-9-12.0. (Assists) - RAMOS, Eden 40. (Dig leaders) - ROMBERG, Carly 25; RAMOS, Eden 14; ARROYO, Alma 14; COWLES, Courtney 9; DAYTON, Cori 8
All-Tournament Team
Esther Johnson, MSU
Kaitlyn Nortz, UNCG
Jill Nyhof, CCU
Megan Bickford, CCU
Carly Romberg, Charlotte
Cori Dayton , Charlotte
MVP Alma Arroyo, Charlotte
- UNCG -
