SALISBURY, NC -- UVA Wise rallied from 2-1 down for a five-set victory over Catawba at Goodman Arena Friday evening. The Cavaliers won the match 22-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-19, 15-10, securing the win with a dominant service game, recording 15 aces.
The win was the second in a row by the Cavs over Catawba, with both coming in Salisbury. The teams will meet again in Wise in the regular season finale on November 14.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: UVA Wise 3, Catawba 2
Records: UVA Wise (7-6, 2-3 SAC); Catawba (3-5, 0-3 SAC)
Location: Salisbury NC | Goodman Arena
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first set opened with Catawba taking an early lead, aided by a service ace from Riley Hill and a kill by Sofia Beard, making the score 2-0. UVA Wise quickly responded, with
Mable James delivering a kill and
Sydney Stone securing a service ace to level the score at 2-2. The set remained competitive with frequent lead changes, highlighted by
Riley Brandon's kill that tied the score at 7-7. As the set progressed, Catawba managed to pull ahead, capitalizing on attack errors from UVA Wise. The decisive point came when Lillie Kate Rogers completed the set with a kill, giving Catawba a 25-22 victory.
The second set saw the Cavs capitalize on a significant service run, turning the tide against the Catawba Indians. After falling behind 3-0, UVA Wise responded, with
Piper Suddeth contributing two crucial kills. A pivotal service performance by
Morgan Blankenship followed, highlighted by four consecutive aces, boosting the Cavs to a 10-4 lead.
Riley Brandon and
Mia Poag also added key points as UVA Wise maintained their momentum. Despite some resistance from Catawba, including kills from Sofia Beard and Martina Foster, the Cavs secured the set 25-18, ending on a service ace by
Serina Petersen.
Blankenship initiated UVA Wise's strong start in the third set with a kill, contributing to an early 2-0 lead. After a series of exchanges, Catawba's Sofia Beard and Sara Puskas executed successful kills, tying the score at 3-3. Catawba then capitalized on Cavalier errors to build a 10-7 lead, highlighted by a service ace from Tamie Boudot. Despite a late surge by UVA Wise, with
Mia Poag and Blankenship scoring consecutive points to close the gap to 23-20, the Catawba Indians held firm. Martina Foster secured the set for Catawba with a decisive kill, concluding the set at 25-22.
UVA Wise took control in the fourth set against Catawba, with strong performances from
Serina Petersen and
Riley Brandon. Petersen contributed significantly, recording multiple kills, including a crucial one at 10-7, and a block that widened their lead to 16-8. Brandon also played a pivotal role, assisting on a majority of Petersen's kills and adding a key service ace that extended the lead to 17-8. During the next Cavalier point,
Abigail Curtis had her 1,000th career dig. Despite a late rally by Catawba, which included a service ace by Tamie Boudot and multiple kills by Lillie Kate Rogers, the Cavs maintained their lead. The set concluded with a service ace by
Abigail Curtis and a block by Petersen, sealing a 25-19 victory for UVA Wise.
In the decisive fifth set, the Cavaliers secured a 15-10 victory over Catawba, with strong performances from multiple players. The set began with UVA Wise taking the first point via a block by
Morgan Blankenship and
Serina Petersen, followed by a kill from
Mia Poag, bringing the score to 2-0. Catawba briefly pulled ahead with a 3-0 run, but the Cavs responded with a series of kills from Blankenship,
Mia Bradley, and
Annabelle Dowell, extending their lead to 8-4. Despite a couple of service errors that allowed Catawba to close the gap slightly, UVA Wise maintained control. A service ace by Blankenship and a crucial kill by
Riley Brandon helped secure the final points needed for the victory.
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GETTING WISE
-Brandon had her fourth career triple-double as she had 11 kills, posting a hitting percentage of .323, and added 20 assists and 14 digs. This was her first triple-double of the season and the first by a SAC player in 2025.
- Curtis excelled defensively, collecting 20 digs over the course of five games. She ended the game with 1,003 career digs. She becomes the ninth player in program history to reach the 1,000 dig plateau, passing Kristen Salyer (986) and Briana Kerr (991) during the match. She trails former teammate
Kaylee Scarce (2021-24) by one.
- Blankenship led the Cavaliers with six service aces and recorded a total of 17 points across five games. She also assisted on four blocks.
- Petersen was effective at the net, accumulating five total blocks, including three solo efforts.
- Poag led the team in kills with 14 and narrowly missed a double-double as she had nine digs.
- The team hit .220 for the match and had a season high .954 serve percentage.
- This was their second win in a row over Catawba and their second overall in the series. Both wins have come in Salisbury. It was also the first time in the series that the teams went to five sets.
UP NEXT
Looking ahead, UVA Wise will host Tusculum on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. The match will take place at The Quillen Court in the David J. Prior Convocation Center in Wise.
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