CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The USC Upstate volleyball team battled through five sets Wednesday evening, overcoming Queens, 3-2, at Curry Arena. The Spartans dropped the opening set before rallying to win three of the final four sets and improve to 4-2 on the season.
USC Upstate fell behind early after Queens claimed the opening set, 25-20. The Spartans responded in the second set, edging the Royals, 25-23, to even the match.
The third set proved to be a back-and-forth affair, with Upstate ultimately prevailing, 27-25, to take a 2-1 lead. Queens answered in the fourth, winning 25-23 and forcing a decisive fifth set.
In the final frame, the Spartans left no doubt. Upstate hit .643 in the fifth set, recording 10 kills with just one error on 14 attacks. The Spartans closed out the match with a dominant 15-9 victory.
Sophomore Summer Kohler led the Spartans offensively with 19 kills while adding 12 digs and four service aces. Kensley Haneline recorded 12 kills while hitting a team-best .345 and adding eight block assists. Tehillah Garrison also reached double figures with 16 kills and hit .300 for the match.
Sophia Spivey contributed 11 kills and five block assists, while Tien Murray added six kills and four block assists. Sarah O’Connor directed the Upstate offense with 54 assists and chipped in 14 digs.
Defensively, Sophia Overholt led the Spartans with 18 digs, while O’Connor added 14 and Hannah Campbell finished with 13. Upstate totaled 82 digs and 24 block assists as a team.
The Spartans finished the match with 69 kills on 188 attacks for a .239 hitting percentage. Upstate also recorded eight service aces.