CONWAY, S.C. -- The Coastal Carolina University volleyball team (19-8, 8-3 BSC) out-hit Charleston Southern (13-15, 2-9 BSC) .264 to .019,  sweeping the Lady Bucs 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-16) Tuesday, Oct. 28, at Kimbel Arena. The Chanticleers used a balanced attack to register 42 kills, while Charleston Southern managed 23 kills on the night.  

 

CSU took a 9-6 lead in the first set, but three kills from junior Jill Nyhof (Alpharetta, Ga./Northview) and one from sophomore Chelsy Kimes (Munster, Ind./Munster) earned a 10-9 lead for the Chanticleers. An attacking error by Coastal Carolina evened the frame at 10-10, but the Chants quickly found a rhythm earning the next six points behind a service ace by senior Brett Starbuck and two kills from Kimes for a 16-10 advantage. Another five-point rally by Coastal Carolina stretched the lead to 21-11. With 14 kills on a .256 attacking percentage, the Chanticleers won the first set 25-14.

 

Both teams traded points in the second frame with the largest lead coming off a CSU attacking error, which gave Coastal Carolina an 11-7 advantage. The Lady Bucs continued to fight, pulling to within three points at 16-13, but a three point spurt by the Chants earned a 19-13 lead. A kill by Emily Libertowski at 19-15 would be the closest the Lady Bucs would come, as Coastal Carolina fired off the next six points to take the set 25-15.

 

Continuing to distribute the ball all over the court, Coastal Carolina grabbed an 8-2 lead out of the break, forcing Charleston Southern to call a timeout.  It seemed to work for the Lady Bucs as they were able to pull within two points at 9-7 and remained close at 16-14. A string of attacking errors stalled the Lady Bucs' attack as the Chanticleers earned the next six points to pull ahead 22-14. Senior Kristin Wolf (Andover, Kan./Andover Central) knocked down her fourth kill of the night as the Chanticleers took a 25-16 victory in the third frame.

 

The Chanticleers balanced attack was evident as Nyhof and Kimes recorded nine kills, while sophomores Megan Bickford (Olathe, Kan/Olathe South) and Amanda Russell (Liberty, Ind./Union County) picked up eight kills apiece. Junior Meagan Tracey (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) guided the Chanticleers attack with 31 assists, while Sam Sasan tallied 20 assists for the Lady Bucs. The Chanticleers held the Big South's leading attacker Amanda Hill to five kills in the match.

 

Coastal Carolina will face High Point Saturday, Nov. 1. High Point and Liberty are the only two teams that have defeated the Chants in the Big South. The match is slated for 4 p.m. Charleston Southern will host High Point Friday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.