GREENVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) volleyball's senior
Gabriela McHugh posted seven kills, eight digs, and 33 assists as the ninth-seeded Spartans dropped a Southern Conference Volleyball Tournament first round match to the eighth-seeded Furman Paladins, 3-1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-7, 25-19).
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How it Happened
Both sides stood knotted at 6-6 early in the first set before Furman produced a three-point rally to claim an early advantage. The Paladins' rally extended to 7-1 as Furman stretched their lead, 13-7. Down 15-8, the Spartans sparked a 5-1 rally fueled by two kills from
Taylor Robertson. UNCG later tied the set at 17 behind a 9-2 rally to erase the Furman lead. The Paladins responded with a 6-1 rally to reclaim a five-point lead, 23-18.
Sierra Herndon created a rally of her own for the Spartans with three-straight kills to keep UNCG in the set, but Furman posted the final two points to end the rally and claim the set.
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There were ten ties and three lead changes in the second set as both sides kept the score even early in the set all the way to 10-10. UNCG posted a 4-1 rally in that stretch to take an early two-point lead. After the 10-10 tie, both sides began to trade rallies. The Spartans posted a three-point rally to claim a 13-10 lead. Furman claimed the lead with a four-point rally in response. The Spartans used defense to propel their ensuing four-point rally that included a forced Furman attack error and a block from
Daija Jackson and
Karolina Zubkova. Furman stopped the rally, but UNCG posted a 4-1 rally, sparked by McHugh's fifth kill of the match. Furman could get no closer than three points to the Spartans as UNCG ended the set with a 3-1 rally to even the match.
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Furman opened the set with a seven-point rally that forced the Spartans to spend a timeout. The Spartans posted two points to stop the rally before Furman created another offensive spread, scoring four-straight points. The Paladins did not relinquish the lead throughout the set on the way to claiming a 2-1 match lead.
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The Spartans and Paladins played a tight matchup early in the fourth set with Furman holding on to a one-point lead. The Paladins posted a four-point rally to build their lead to five, 10-5. UNCG scored three of the next four points in response to cut the lead down to three. Furman scored six of the next eight points to claim a seven-point lead, 17-10. UNCG posted a 6-3 rally in response thanks to a pair of kills from both Jackson and
Mya Wood to shrink the deficit to four, 20-16. Furman kept the lead above four the rest of the frame to claim the match and advance in the Southern Conference Volleyball Tournament. Â
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By the Numbers
- The Spartans increased their hitting percentage from .167 in the first set to .247 through two sets thanks to UNCG's .387 performance in the second set.
- Robertson led the Spartans with nine kills with a .188 hitting percentage.
- Wood finished with eight kills and eleven digs with two blocks.
- McHugh finished with a .208 hitting percentage and added two blocks.Â
- Jackson tallied six kills and a .267 hitting percentage.
- Ella Voegele led the back row with 20 digs while tallying two service aces.
- Avery Sziksai added 13 digs to represent the third Spartans' player with double-digit digs.
- Furman hit .199 for the match compared to the Spartans' .123.
UNCG concluded the season with a 10-20 overall mark and a 4-12 SoCon record.