BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University women's volleyball team won their first Conference Carolinas Women's Volleyball Championship title on Sunday afternoon. King dropped the first two sets to top-seed North Greenville University, but the second-seeded Tornado came storming back behind
Julie Ward. Ward posted 30 kills in the match as King took the 3-2 victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 2 King 3, No. 1 North Greenville 2 (24-26, 25-27, 25-19, 25-21, 15-7)
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 17-2; North Greenville 12-1
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- North Greenville gained separation in the middle of the first set with a 5-0 run to take a 17-13 lead.
- King came back by scoring five of the next six points, evening the score at 18 on one of Kayley Holtzclaw's five blocks.
- Three kills from Ward and an ace from Abigail Shaffer gave King a 23-21 lead following a 4-0 spurt.
- King then led 24-23 before the Crusaders scored the final three points to take the set 26-24.
Second Set
- Allie Zimmerman started a 5-0 King run with a kill before three straight terminations from Ward gave King a 10-9 lead.
- Georgia Davis later capped a 4-0 King spurt with a kill that gave the Tornado a 15-11 lead.
- North Greenville came back and evened the set at 17 as the teams traded points for the remainder of the set.
- King held a 24-22 lead, but North Greenville scored three straight points to gain the advantage.
- Hailee Blankenship came up with a kill for the Tornado, but the Crusaders scored the final two points, taking the set 27-25.
Third Set
- Brittney Ramsey, Ward and Katie Harless all accounted for kills on a 4-0 run that gave King a 12-10 lead.
- Following a pair of Crusader points, the Tornado rolled off five straight points as Ward posted two kills and two aces on the run that put King ahead 17-12.
- Ward later gave King the 25-19 win with her ninth kill of the set.
Fourth Set
- The momentum carried over as King took a 4-1 lead following another Ward ace.
- King later used a 3-0 run, capped by a block from Davis and Ramsey to take a 14-11 lead.
- A block from Ramsey and a kill from Ward gave King a chance at set point, leading 24-18, but the Crusaders scored three straight points.
- Ward then ended the 25-21 win with another kill.
Fifth Set
- Ward started the fifth set with back-to-back kills before Ramsey and Blankenship recorded consecutive kills.
- Ward followed that with an ace, giving King a 5-2 lead as North Greenville called for a timeout.
- A kill and an ace from Blankenship, followed by a kill from Ward gave King a 12-5 lead.
- Ramsey came up with her fourth solo stuff of the match, giving a chance at match point.
- King took the set 15-7 on a North Greenville attack error, taking the match 3-2.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Ward led King with 30 kills to go along with 18 digs and six service aces.
- Blankenship followed with 13 kill and 17 digs.
- Ramsey added seven kills and 10 blocks, including four solo stuffs.
- Davis recorded 23 assists, 12 digs and five blocks.
- Harless posted 23 assists and added 13 digs.
- Shaffer led the defense with 25 digs.
FOR THE FOES
- Kelli Davis and Paige Beisecker led North Greenville with 12 kills apiece with Davis added nine digs.
- Abigail Durham added 11 kills and eight digs while Erin Allen chapped in with nine kills and nine digs.
- Ashlyn Connor handed out 35 assists and added 14 digs.
- Whitley Kahler accounted for 23 digs while Katherine McClure recorded 17 digs.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Tornado won their first Conference Carolinas Tournament title in program history, and it's their first conference tournament title since 2008 when they won the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament title.
- King ends the season on a 14-match winning streak, their longest since 2013 when they won 19-straight matches.
- King set an NCAA-era (since 2011) school record with 15 blocks.
- Ward was selected the Conference Carolinas Tournament Most Valuable Player while Ramsey and Shaffer were selected to the all-tournament team.
- Ward's 30 kills in the most in a match in the NCAA-era.
- The six aces from Ward matched a career-high.
- Blankenship set a career-high with 17 digs.
- Shaffer's 25 digs sets a career-high.
- Davis set a career-high with 12 digs.
- Harless matched a career-high with 13 digs.
- Ramsey matched a career-high with 10 blocks.
