GREENEVILLE, TN – The homestanding Tusculum Pioneers used several key runs to hold off the UVA Wise Cavaliers 3-1 Friday evening in Pioneer Arena.
The loss drops the Highland Cavaliers to ninth place in the South Atlantic Conference standings with four matches remaining on the schedule. The top eight schools in the SAC make the conference tournament and UVA Wise are a game behind Newberry and are tied with Limestone. The Cavs will host Limestone next Friday and Newberry has some makeup matches to play so it is shaping up to be a three-way race for a berth in the tournament.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: Tusculum 3, UVA Wise 1
Records: UVA Wise (10-13, 4-10 SAC); Tusculum (10-12, 8-6 SAC)
Location: Greeneville, TN | Pioneer Arena
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Pioneers used a 5-0 run to break the 7-7 tie in the first set. UVA Wise would make some runs of their own and cut the lead to one point on three occasions, but a late 7-1 run put the set away as Tusculum won 25-19.
- TU took the early 6-2 lead before the Cavs cut the lead to one. Tusculum held the lead, eventually going up 19-13 when a Pioneer service error and a kill by
Mailea Hufnagel sparked a 7-1 Cavalier run that tied things up at 20-20. TU would again pull ahead to 23-21, but another Hufnagel kill sparked a 4-0 UVA Wise run to propel the Cavs to the 25-23 win.
- UVA Wise then grabbed a 9-5 lead in the third set, but the Pioneers rallied to claim the 25-15 win in the third set.
- Several times in the fourth set the Pioneers would take a small lead, only to see the Cavs come back to tie it. UVA Wise would eventually tie the set at 23-23 after a 3-0 run, but the Pioneers held on to take the final two points and the match.
GETTING WISE
- Three Cavaliers had double-doubles:
Kaylee Scarce (11 kills, 11 digs),
Piper Suddeth (14 assists, 13 digs), and
Lily Gutierrez (15 kills, 11 digs). Gutierrez hit a personal milestone during the match as she surpassed 1,000 career assists while at UVA Wise in the third set. The senior has 1,197 total assists for her career, which includes the ones from her freshman season at Emmanuel University.
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Abigail Curtis led all players with 29 digs, while
Cassidy Farley led all players with six blocks. Farley entered the evening tied for fourth in career block assists with Santana Bishop (2013-16) and now trails third place Jessica Cain (2001-04) by 13.
ABOUT TU
- Makayla Willey led TU with 16 kills, while Martina Foster added in 14.
- Four Pioneers had double digit digs, led by Taylor Sanders' 19. Amiranee Au had 17 digs, Macey Snapp 15, and Madison Adkins 12.
UP NEXT
UVA Wise will stay on the road for their next match as they make the quick trip to Washington County to face Emory & Henry Wednesday evening. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
