CONWAY, S.C.–The Coastal Carolina University volleyball team (18-10, 9-3 Big South) had a nip-and-tuck battle with Charleston Southern University (14-17, 2-10 Big South) for the second time this season, but as in the previous match, the Lady Chants came away with the victory, 3-1, Nov.11, in Charleston, S.C. Coastal won the match by scores of 33-31, 30-22, 26-30 and 30-22.

Game one was tied at 15 apiece when two aces by sophomore Jennifer Hampton (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) opened a two-point gap. Coastal led by as many as five points (22-17), but the Buccaneers rallied to tie the game at 27 on a Coastal hitting error. A CSU kill was followed by a put away from senior Sarah Bennett (Eagan, Minn./Eagan), tying the game at 28. Coastal had game point when Jenni Shepherd had a hitting error, but a kill by Allyn Beam kept the Bucs in the game. A Beam kill gave CSU the game point, but Coastal tied it at 30 on a Bennett kill. Two kills by sophomore Katherine Jensen at 31-all gave the Lady Chants the 33-31 win. For the game, CCU hit .319, compared to .359 for the Bucs, with Jensen leading the way with eight kills.

In game two, Coastal took a 5-5 tie into a 10-5 lead, thanks to two blocks by Jensen and sophomore Krista Kimble (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro). The Buccaneers would get within two at 18-16, but Coastal would go on a 7-2 run to take a 25-19 lead. The Lady Chants would end the game on a Jensen kill at 28-22 and a blocking error. CCU hit .280 for the game, while holding the Bucs to a .098 hitting percentage. Bennett’s eight kills led the Lady Chants in game two.

Coastal jumped out early in game three, taking a 6-2 lead, but the Bucs went on a 6-1 run to take an 8-7 lead. The two teams traded points until a 5-0 run at 13-all gave the Chants a five-point lead. Charleston Southern answered with a five-point run to tie the game at 22-all. Charleston Southern then scored five of the next seven points, sparked by two kills from Beam. CSU took game point on a Jensen error. For the game, the Lady Chants hit .122 and had 10 attack errors.

Coastal got off to another fast start in game four, taking an 8-2 lead with help from two blocks from Kimble and freshman Laura Obert (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy). Charleston Southern cut the advantage to as many as two (21-19), but the Lady Chants, powered by the attack of Bennett and Jensen, went on a 6-1 run and when Bennett had a kill at 29-22, the Lady Chants won its sixth match in seven outings.

Bennett led the Lady Chants with a season high 24 kills while Jensen added 19. Kimble had 12 kills and Obert was the fourth Lady Chant in double figures with 10 kills. Hampton tied her season high with 63 assists and added 16 digs. Freshman Alicia Meyers (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley) had a team high 20 digs in her first action at libero this season. Kimble also had six blocks, while Obert added four.

Charleston Southern was led by Beam with 18 kills. Tori Owens added 18 digs.

Coastal faces Winthrop University Friday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m., in Rock Hill, S.C