Box Score Volleyball Cruises Past UNC Asheville 3-1 More Information:
CONWAY, S.C.-The Coastal Carolina (8-21, 3-9) volleyball team upset UNC Asheville (11-16, 8-4) Saturday night in Kimbel Arena, 3-1. Three Lady Chanticleers had double-digits in kills and four with double-digit-digs on the night. The game scores were 30-27, 24-30, 30-23, 30-19.
Game one was a close one with each team matching the other point-for-point until Coastal jumped out to an 10-8 lead. The game remained close despite attempts from each team to pull ahead until three consecutive errors forced a Coastal Carolina time-out at 21-19. After the time-out, the Lady Bulldogs pulled within one off of a Lauren Ficker kill and two Coastal attack errors until kills from seniors Ashley Scheible (Westerville, Ohio/North), Kristin Rinne (Fountain Hills, Ariz./Fountain Hills) and Laura Obert (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) put Coastal ahead 29-25. After a UNC Asheville time-out, the Lady Bulldogs got a kill from All-American Elif Unlu and a Raquel Miotto service ace but ended the game with an attack error giving the Lady Chanticleers the 30-27 victory. Coastal was led by freshman Jill Nyhof (Alpharetta, Ga./Northview) who had five kills.
UNCA dominated game two defeating the Lady Chanticleers 30-24. The game was tied 6-6 until Brooke Holiday served four unanswered points giving the Lady Bulldogs the 9-7 lead. Coastal quickly responded after a kill from Nakia Thompson (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) sparked a Coastal 9-6 run to take the lead. However, Holiday again served four more points forcing a Coastal time-out at 21-17. After the time-out, Unlu tallied three kills as UNCA took advantage of 11 total game errors from Coastal to win the game. Unlu blasted for seven kills while Ashley Wrightenberry had four. Coastal was again led by Nyhof who had five kills and Obert who tallied four.
Coastal came out with a vengeance in game three jumping to an early 15-9 lead off of four Nyhof kills and two kills each from Thompson and Rinne. UNCA pulled within three taking advantage of two Coastal attack errors and a kill from Emily Palma. However, the Lady Bulldogs had four straight errors to help Coastal pull away 24-17 and forcing a time-out. Despite two strong kills from Wrightenberry, the Lady Bulldogs couldn't catch up to the Lady Chanticleers who sealed the deal off of a Nyhof kill. Nyhof had another strong game putting down seven balls.
Game four was all Coastal after getting the early 19-13 lead after three consecutive UNCA errors and two huge blocks from Obert and Nyhof and Obert and Meagan Tracey (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon). UNCA tried to slow the Lady Chanticleers down with a time-out but couldn't stop the arm of Thompson who had two service aces and a kill. The Lady Bulldogs had eight errors in the game and only hit .146 against Coastal's .273. Nyhof again led the Lady Chanticleer offense with five kills. UNCA was led by Wrightenberry who put down six balls.
Coastal was led by three Lady Chants who had double-digits in kills on the night. Nyhof led the offense tying her season-high of 22 kills and a .360 hitting percentage. Thompson tallied her 12th double-double on 12 kills and 18 digs while Obert also ended the night with 12 kills. Three other Lady Chants recorded double-digits in digs. Tracey ended the night recording her 10th double-double having 49 assists and 15 digs. Brett Starbuck (Glen Allen, Va./JR Tucker) ended the night with 16 digs and Devon West (Ontario, Canada/Lockerby Composite School (Cambrian College of Applied Arts and Tech)) scooped up 12. The Lady Chanticleers hit .153 with 10 total blocks.
UNCA was lead by Wrightenberry who had 17 kills and Unlu who had 13 kills and 13 digs. Three other Lady Bulldogs had double-digits in digs, Miotto (23), Bridget Holiday (12) and Kaitlyn McDaniel (11). As a team, UNCA had a .118 hitting percentage off of 30 errors and seven total blocks.
The Lady Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday, November 7 when they host Gardner-Webb at 7 p.m. Coastal looks to pick up its third straight win when they host Birmingham-Southern tomorrow, November 5 at 4 p.m.
