BANNER ELK, N.C. – The King University women's volleyball team fell behind a rival Lees-McRae College on Friday night, dropping the first two sets. The Tornado fought back to force a fifth set and took the set 15-11 to complete the reverse sweep.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 3, Lees-McRae 2 (16-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-19, 15-11)
LOCATION: Williams Gymnasium; Banner Elk, N.C.
RECORDS: King 7-6, 2-0 Conference Carolinas; Lees-McRae 0-11, 0-2 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- Lees-McRae started to gain separation in with a 6-0 run to take a 15-9 lead before an Abigale Jayne kill.
- King wasn't able to recover from that run as the Bobcats took the set 25-16.
Second Set
- King used a 4-0 run to take a 12-8 lead following a pair of service aces from Hailee Blankenship and kills from Abigail Belcher and Julie Danner.
- However, the Bobcats responded with four straight points to even the score.
- The teams then traded points until the Bobcats scored five straight points to take a 23-19 lead.
- King fought back with three straight points on a pair of kills from Danner.
- Nevertheless, Lees-McRae scored the final two points to take the set 25-22.
Third Set
- King scored six straight points to even the score at 8-8. Belcher and Blankenship teamed up for a block on the spurt.
- The teams then traded blows until King scored back-to-back points to take an 18-16 lead.
- The Tornado held that lead and a Blankenship kill gave King the 25-20 victory.
Fourth Set
- A Jayne kill gave King an 8-5 lead and forced a Lees-McRae timeout.
- King extended the lead as a Blankenship termination gave King a 13-7 lead as the Bobcats took their second timeout of the set.
- The Tornado held the lead and took the set 25-19 to force a fifth set.
Fifth Set
- The Tornado jumped out to a 3-0 lead, forcing a Lees-McRae timeout.
- Out of the break, the Bobcats came back to even the score at four.
- King responded with a kills from Blankenship around an ace from Hannah Rogers to take a 7-4 advantage.
- Blankenship then came up with a kill and ace to give King an 11-7 lead and force Lees-McRae to take their second timeout.
- The Bobcats tried to fight back, but Bailey Fersner came up with a kill that gave King the set 15-11 and the match 3-2.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Blankenship led King with 17 kills, six digs and three blocks.
- Danner followed with 10 kills while Jayne added seven terminations.
- Katie Harless handed out 36 assists and added 13 digs.
- Claire Wilson led the back row with 14 digs.
- Belcher posted seven blocks, two solo.
FOR THE FOES
- Julia Emore led Lees-McRae with 14 kills, 20 assists and eight digs.
- Sydney Stigler added 13 kills and 20 digs.
- Destiny Holley chipped in with 10 kills while Bre Adamson posted 21 digs.
- Madison Goins handed out 27 assists.
UP NEXT
- King returns home to take on Southern Wesleyan University at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
- Lees-McRae travels to Southern Wesleyan on Tuesday.
