Volleyball Topples League Leader Chattanooga 3-2

Women's Volleyball 9/4/2015 1:45:00 PM UNCGSpartans.com

Volleyball Holds Off Eastern Kentucky at Tennessee Classic

Box Score KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – UNCG opened up a two-set lead over Eastern Kentucky Friday morning before eventually downing the Colonels 3-2 (25-18, 25-18, 19-25, 17-25, 15-12) in both teams' opening match of the DISH Tennessee Volleyball Classic inside Thompson Boling Arena. The Spartans improved to 3-1 overall with the victory while EKU remained winless at 0-5.

UNCG put three players in double figures offensively and was led by senior middle hitter Julia Westerbur's match-high 15 kills. Junior outside hitter Alexis Mourier turned in a fantastic performance as she tallied 14 kills and made just two errors in 25 attempts to finish with a .480 hitting percentage. Freshman middle hitter Jasmine Jones checked in with a career-high 11 kills to go along with three blocks (one solo).

Defensively, senior defensive specialist Katherine Santiago led five Spartans in double digits with a match-best 20 digs. Junior outside hitter Jessica Brezwyn, junior setter Sara Hohman, sophomore defensive specialist Anna Romaniszyn and freshman defensive specialist Christina Gregory all ended up with 12, 12, 12 and 11 digs respectively. Hohman notched her first double-double of the season adding 53 assists to her dig total while also contributing a pair of aces.

The Blue and Gold ended up with the edge in a majority of the statistical categories, including kills (58-47), hitting percentage (.153 to .128) and digs (74-73) but EKU wound up on top in total blocks (10.0 to 7.0) and had a slight advantage in aces (5-4).

A trio of consecutive attacking errors by Eastern Kentucky gave UNCG a 3-0 lead in the first set. With the score later tied at six, an 8-4 Spartan run established some breathing room at 14-10 and forced the Colonels to take a timeout. A kill by Mourier would stretch the advantage to 16-11 and UNCG would keep the gas pedal down. A kill by Westerbur made it 19-13 before the Blue and Gold closed the frame out 25-18.

It was all Spartans in the second set as UNCG rung up a 12-4 lead and prompted an EKU timeout. The Colonels responded with five-straight scores but the Spartans had an answer and went on a 4-0 run to make the score 16-9. Eastern Kentucky would get back into the set and pull within 19-16 following a Celina Sanks kill, but UNCG scored six of the last eight points to seal the stanza 25-18.

Following the intermission, the Spartans led the third frame 4-2 but the momentum slowly began to swing EKU's way. A block gave the Colonels an 11-8 cushion as UNCG took timeout. Down 13-9, the Blue and Gold scored four straight to tie the score but a 6-2 Eastern Kentucky run would put the set out of reach. The Colonels went ahead 23-16 before closing it out by six points.

The teams played to a deadlock at seven points in the fourth frame before a Danielle Hicks kill afforded EKU a 10-7 lead. A kill by Mourier later knotted things at 12 apiece but UNCG would score just five more points in the set as the Colonels finished it off by an eight-point margin.

A big block by sophomore outside hitter Ashley Muench started things off right for the Spartans in the decisive fifth stanza and UNCG would eventually push in front 5-1 after an Eastern Kentucky attacking error. Another kill by Mourier saw the Blue and Gold in front 8-2 before EKU rallied one last time. The Spartans looked to be in control with a 10-5 advantage but the Colonels scored seven of the next nine points to forge a 12-12 deadlock. UNCG did not allow its opponent to complete the rally, however, netting the final three points of the match off of two EKU errors and a Mourier kill.

The Blue and Gold returns to the court Friday evening in a 7 p.m. contest against host Tennessee.

Keep up with the UNCG volleyball team all season by logging on to www.uncgspartans.com and following the Spartans' official Twitter accounts @uncgvb/@uncgsports.

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