ROCK HILL, SC – When you look back at the history of the UVA Wise volleyball program, you'll notice the first game and the first win was against Tusculum on Nov. 8, 1969. The 40th meeting between the two programs, 20,821 days later, was just as momentous and historic for the Highland Cavaliers and capped off a big day for the program. The team had four student-athletes earn All-South Atlantic Conference honors early in the morning, and the evening saw the squad win their first-ever SAC Tournament match with the 3-0 sweep (25-20, 26-24, 25-15) of Tusculum.
Tusculum had won both prior meetings this season by 4-1 margins. The sweep by UVA Wise was only the second allowed by TU all season, with the other one coming in their match at Anderson.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: UVA Wise 3, Tusculum 0
Records: UVA Wise (15-13); Tusculum (18-9)
Location: Rock Hill, SC | Rock Hill Sports & Event Center
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Highland Cavaliers erased an 11-10 deficit with five straight points, moving ahead 15-11 before finishing off a 25-20 first-set win. Earlier,
Riley Brandon had two kills and
Serina Petersen added a kill and a block as the Cavs opened the set with four straight points, with
Olivia Amos assisting the three kills in that stretch. The Pioneers worked back to tie the set at 10-10 and went in front 11-10, but UVA Wise answered with a Petersen block, a Brandon kill from
Abigail Curtis, a Brandon-Petersen block, a
Maggy Sechrist kill from Amos and a
Mia Poag service ace. After Tusculum later got within 18-15, the Cavs added a Sechrist ace, a
Mable James kill and a Poag kill to reach 22-18. The Pioneers closed to 22-20, but a service error, Poag's second ace of the set and a Brandon kill from Curtis gave the Cavaliers the final three points.
The Cavs erased a 21-19 deficit late in the second set and finished it with back-to-back points after the Pioneers had pulled even at 24-24. Earlier, UVA Wise started with the first two points and stayed close through a 12-11 lead behind kills from
Riley Brandon,
Mable James,
Mia Poag and
Serina Petersen. TU answered with a 6-2 stretch to move ahead 18-14, but Sechrist, James and a Pioneers attack error helped the Highland Cavaliers get back within 19-18. After the Pioneers led 21-19, the Cavs tied the set on a Brandon kill, moved in front on a Poag kill and later closed the 26-24 set win with a
Serina Petersen kill followed by Brandon's final swing from
Abigail Curtis.
The Highland Cavaliers did their closing work late in the third set, turning a 17-15 edge into the set's final margin with an eight-point finish. Earlier, after the Pioneers moved in front 6-5,
Mable James answered with a kill and Sechrist served through a four-point UVA Wise burst that included two James blocks and a
Mia Poag kill for a 10-6 lead. Tusculum cut the margin to 10-9, but the Highland Cavaliers continued to side out behind kills from James,
Serina Petersen and
Riley Brandon, with Brandon adding points that moved the Cavs ahead 15-11, 16-13 and 17-14. After the Pioneers reached 17-15, James put down a kill to start the closing run, and Sechrist followed with seven straight service points as Poag supplied four kills, James added two more blocks, and Sechrist served an ace before Poag ended the 25-15 set win.
GETTING WISE
- The Highland Cavaliers finished with 47 kills and a .252 hitting percentage while limiting the Pioneers to 42 kills and .148.
-
Riley Brandon, a senior who was potentially playing in her final match, led the Highland Cavaliers with 17 kills and 17.5 points while hitting .441.
- Fellow senior
Abigail Curtis celebrated becoming UVA Wise's first-ever First Team All-SAC player by recording a team-high 34 digs to go along with eight assists, including one on the final point of the match. She entered the evening with 608 career digs and now has 642, and trails UVA Wise Hall-of-Famer Kari Sparks by 11 for second place on the single-season digs list. She also passed the 1,900 carer digs mark during the match and is only the second UVA Wise student-athlete to do so.
- SAC All-Freshman Team member
Olivia Amos finished with 36 assists and 15 digs. With her assist on the 15thh point of the third set she became the tenth Highland Cavalier to pass the 1,000 assists mark and only the third to do it in a single season.
- Third-team All-SAC member
Mable James added eight kills and led the team with five blocks, including a career-high four solo blocks.
- The last time a Highland Cavalier team won a post-season match was Nov. 4, 2011, when Coach Kendall Rainey's squad defeated Pikeville 3-0 in the opening round of the Mid-South Conference Tournament at the Frankfort Civic Center in Frankfort, Kentucky. Mikaela Anders led the Cavs with nine kills and five aces, while Veronica Sanchez dished out 29 assists and Lindsey Burke had ten digs.
UP NEXT
The Highland Cavaliers will face sixth-seed Carson-Newman in a SAC Tournament Semifinal Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Eagles upset third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne 3-0 earlier tonight.
