LYNCHBURG, Va. – Senior middle hitter Vicky Harley (Blythewood, S.C./Blythewood) exploded offensively for the second-straight match, leading the UNCG volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20) victory over Howard at the Liberty Invitational inside the Vines Center.

Harley hit a sizzling .714 in the match with 15 kills on 21 attempts with no errors. She broke the Vines Center facility record for hitting percentage while also tying her career high in blocking with 10 (four solo). The .714 mark also surpassed the previous program single-match record for four sets.

Offensively, sophomore outside hitter Jessica Brezwyn (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) compiled 14 kills, three blocks and a pair of aces. She also contributed seven digs on the defensive end. Freshman outside Anna Romaniszyn (Port Orange, Fla./Spruce Creek) registered 10 digs and two aces while junior defensive specialist Leah Wells (Statesville, N.C./Catawba Valley CC) chipped in with two aces of her own.

Sophomore setter Sara Hohman (Zionsville, Ind./Cathedral) tallied her third-straight double-double, notching 33 assists and 11 digs. She also added three block assists and an ace.

Freshman defensive specialist Cayce Bell (Creedmoor, N.C./South Granville) played the libero position for the final three sets and did nicely, racking up a team-high 13 digs.

With most statistical categories ending up even, UNCG (4-1) arguably won the match with its offensive by out-hitting the Bison (2-4) .138 to .063. The Spartans tallied more kills (47-35) but made one more error than their counterparts. The teams also combined for 28 service errors.

In a contest between two statistically-potent blocking squads, both sides ended up with 14 total blocks. It was the fourth-straight match in which the Spartans piled up double-digit stuffs.

With the score knotted at four in the first set, UNCG went on a 4-0 run thanks to four Howard errors to establish some early breathing room. A kill by Romaniszyn kept the Blue and Gold in front 12-8 and prompted the Bison to call timeout for the first time in the match. Howard called timeout again with the Spartans leading 20-16 before an attacking error by senior middle hitter Kelsey Sidney (Chesterfield, Mo./Marquette HS) allowed the Bison to draw within 22-21. A bad set by the Howard setter and a Harley kill gave UNCG set point at 24-21 and a service error would end the set 25-22 in favor of the Spartans.

The Blue and Gold fell behind 10-6 in the second stanza and, as a result, used a timeout. UNCG pulled within 10-9 on a Harley kill, but the Bison stretched the advantage to 17-12. The Spartans could not recover at that point as Howard tied the match with a 25-20 margin of victory in the frame.

The teams played to a 7-7 deadlock in the third set before the Spartans ripped off an 8-0 run behind the serving of Romaniszyn to take full control of the frame. UNCG took leads of 19-9 and 23-14 on the way to a 25-17 victory and a 2-1 lead in the match.

A trio of kills by Sidney helped the Spartans grab an early 3-1 lead in the fourth set but a kill by Assata Conway tied the score at four. The sides traded the lead back and forth until, with the set locked at 10 apiece, UNCG netted four of the next five points to assume a 14-11 lead.

A thunderous block by Harley and Hohman made the score 17-12, forcing a Howard timeout, and the Spartans were the first to reach 20 when a Brezwyn kill made the score 20-14. A Sidney kill would end the match a few points later as the Blue and Gold won the fourth set 25-20.