ANDERSON, SC — Anderson swept UVA Wise in straight sets in a South Atlantic Conference match Friday evening at Abney Athletic Center, winning 25-14, 25-10, 25-19.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: Anderson 3, UVA Wise 0
Records: UVA Wise (12-11, 6-8 SAC); (17-5, 12-2 SAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The match opened with Anderson taking an early lead, but the Cavaliers responded promptly with a kill by
Mable James, assisted by
Madilyn Pardue, leveling the score at 1-1. Kills by
Braelynn Williams and
Mia Poag, both facilitated by
Riley Brandon, kept it close, but the Trojans slowly pulled out to an eight point lead. The Cavs had a service ace by
Abigail Curtis and additional kills by
Mailea Hufnagel and Poag to cut into the lead. Ultimately, the Trojans maintained their advantage and closed out the set 25-14.
- UVA Wise faced a challenging second set against Anderson, highlighted by an early kill from
August Betz that brought the score to 2-3. However, the Trojans responded with a strong run, extending the score to double digits. Despite contributions from
Morgan Blankenship and
Mia Poag, who each secured kills, the Cavs only managed to hit .074 for the set. Anderson continued to apply pressure, ultimately closing the set at 25-10.
- The Cavs made a strong push in the third set with Betz notching a kill assisted by Curtis, leveling the score at 1-1. This was followed by a series of Anderson attack errors contributing to a 3-1 lead for UVA Wise.
Annabelle Dowell's service ace extended the lead to 5-2, but the Trojans responded, tying the score at 6-6. Despite a competitive effort from the Cavaliers, including multiple kills from Blankenship and Dowell, the team was unable to sustain their lead. Key plays by Anderson, particularly by Ava Reeves, shifted the momentum, allowing the Trojans to secure the third set 25-19.
GETTING WISE
- Betz posted a hitting percentage of .455 with five kills and added one solo block, contributing six points overall.
- Blankenship also had five kills and six assists in addition to an assist block
- Dowell was effective in her single game, recording three aces and three kills on four attempts, resulting in a .750 hitting percentage.
- Pardue facilitated the offense with 13 assists and added eight digs over three games.
- Curtis made a defensive impact with 13 digs and contributed two service aces.
UP NEXT
The Cavs will stay in South Carolina, making the short trip from Anderson to Spartanburg to face Converse at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The Valkyries enter the contest with a 18-6 overall record and a 14-3 record in Conference Carolinas following a marathon five set win at UNC Pembroke earlier tonight. They currently lead the CC Northwest Division.
This will be only the second time the two teams have met, with the last meeting also coming in Spartanburg in 2009 when the Cavs fell to the host team in the Converse Invitational 3-0 on Sept, 4.
