CONWAY, S.C. -- Coastal Carolina University's volleyball squad fell to High Point 3-2 at Kimbel Arena on Friday, Oct. 12. After winning the first two games, the Lady Chanticleers lost the final three. Game scores were 30-22, 30-18, 12-30, 28-30, 9-15.

"High Point is a great program and we saw tonight why they deserve the record they have," Head Coach Kristen Bauer said. "Hats off to them for being down two games and coming back to win the match."

The tone for an intense match was set early as game one feature several long rallies. As Coastal maintained a 20-19 advantage over the Panthers, the Lady Chants were able to pull away with a 6-1 scoring run to make it a 26-20 game. A kill by senior Nakia Thompson (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) gave Coastal the win.

Game two started out close until Coastal had two separate seven-point runs. Freshman Megan Bickford (Olathe, Kan./Olathe South) started the first run with a kill and then added a service ace. An attack error by High Point's Lindsay Raus began Coastal's second run, which included two service aces from sophomore Megan Pollard (Naperville, Ill./Naperville).  Coastal ended the game with a four-point run that featured a pair of kills from sophomore Jill Nyhof (Alpharetta, Ga./Northview), a kill from Bickford and a service ace by sophomore Meagan Tracey (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon).

After High Point controlled the third game with a .353 hitting percentage (14 kills off 34 total attacks), the fourth game came down to the wire as Coastal used a kill from Bickford and another from Nyhof to close a three-point Panther lead and make the score 29-28 in favor of High Point. Unfortunately for the Lady Chants, High Point got the point it needed to win the game and force a deciding game five.

In game five and with the score tied 4-4, High Point used a three point run to pull away. The Panthers then used two additional three-point runs en route to winning the match.

Nyhof led Coastal with 17 kills, while freshman Chelsy Kimes (Munster, Ind./Munster) added a 16-kill, 25-dig double-double. Tracey had an assist-dig double-double with 51 assists and 13 digs. Meanwhile, junior Brett Starbuck (Glen Allen, Va./J.R. Tucker) recorded a match and career-high 37 digs.

Ashley Mellott recorded a match-high 18 kills for High Point. Kristina Taylor and Julie Hershkowitz tallied 41 assists and 29 digs, respectively.

Coastal returns to action on Saturday afternoon when its hosts rival Winthrop. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Kimbel Arena.