BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University women's volleyball team fought back from a deficit against fourth seeded Erskine College in the Conference Carolinas Women's Volleyball Championship second round.
Georgia Davis posted a triple-double to lead the third seeded Tornado back, forcing a fifth set. However, the Flying Fleet took the final set 15-13 to win the match 3-2.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 4 Erskine 3, No. 3 King (25-21, 25-23, 13-25, 14-25, 15-13)
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 15-15; Erskine 13-20
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- Erskine Used a 5-0 run to open up a 9-4 advantage early in the contest.
- Trailing 14-7, Brittney Ramsey started a 5-0 King spurt with a kill as a Katie Harless ace pulled the Tornado within 14-12.
- Four straight Flying Fleet points gave Erskine a 19-13 lead, but King had another run.
- King scored five of the next six points to pull within 20-18.
- However, Erskine scored five of the final eight points to take the set 25-21.
Second Set
- Erskine used an 8-0 run early in the set to take a 12-4 lead.
- The Tornado responded with four straight points as a Hannah Rogers ace pulled King within 12-8.
- A Hailee Blankenship kill followed by two Paula La Mendola aces pulled King within 16-14.
- Following an Erskine point, the Tornado scored four straight points to take an 18-17 lead.
- The set was later tied a 21 following another Rogers ace before Erskine closed the set on a run.
- The Flying Fleet scored four of the final six points to take the set 25-23.
Third Set
- The King offense came alive in the third set, hitting .371 with 13 kills in the set.
- Julie Ward started a 7-0 King run with a kill and closed the spurt with an ace as King took an 18-10 lead.
- King scored the final five points of the set as a Davis ace gave King 25-13 victory.
Fourth Set
- Two Davis kills, followed by two La Mendola aces gave King an early 5-2 advantage.
- Erskine came back and used a 5-0 run to take a 10-9 lead, but the Tornado responded.
- Another 7-0 King spurt gave the Tornado a 17-11 lead.
- The run was started by two kills from Ramsey and a Ward termination as Katie Harless served two aces on the run.
- Blankenship later gave King the 25-14 victory, forcing a fifth set.
Fifth Set
- Erskine jumped out to a 5-2 lead and used a 6-1 run to take a 12-6 advantage.
- King responded with a 6-1 spurt started by a Harless kill and two Rogers aces.
- The Tornado pulled within 13-12, and 14-13, but the Flying Fleet got a kill from Meredith Hollinger to take the set 15-13 and the match 3-2.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Davis posed a triple-double with 10 kills, 21 assists and 17 digs. She added three aces and one block assist.
- Ward posted 15 kills and 16 digs while Blankenship added 12 kills and eight digs.
- Ramsey registered 11 kills and a .435 attack percentage. She added five blocks, two solo stuffs.
- Harless chipped in with six kills, 26 assists and 20 digs.
- Claire Wilson posted 19 digs.
- La Mendola posed five aces.
FOR THE FOES
- Hollinger led Erskine with 25 kills and 20 digs.
- Kaile Tuisamatalele followed with 13 kills and Katy Torgerson added with 10 kills.
- Laney Gaston posted 45 assists and 14 digs.
- Megan Thees led Erskine with 22 digs while Taylor McClinton added 20 digs and Mallory Carter chipped in with 18 digs.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- King posed 16 aces, a season high.
- Mendola's five aces set a career high.
- Harless' 20 digs set a career high.
- Seniors Ramsey, Davis and Allie Zimmerman played their final match wearing the scarlet and blue.
- Ramsey is King's all-time leader in total blocks, block assists and block solos.
