Tigerville, S.C. – The Tornado traveled to North Greenville on Friday evening for a Conference Carolinas matchup but came up just short in a five-set battle, falling 3–2 (22–25, 23–25, 25–12, 25–18, 15–7). King controlled the early tempo behind strong attacking from
Carson Pliapol and
Colton Bueter before North Greenville shifted momentum to close out the match at home.
First Set: King Opens Strong Behind Balanced Attack
King started the match with composed play and timely scoring to edge the opening frame.
- Carson Pliapol led the offensive push with early kills, while Colton Bueter added steady production from the outside.
- The Tornado held off late North Greenville pressure to secure a 25–22 win and take a 1–0 lead.
Second Set: King Extends Lead in Another Tight Frame
The Tornado stayed aggressive and continued to execute in key moments.
- Dalton Claiborne provided efficiency at the net, while Brett Lloyd and Bueter helped stabilize the offense.
- King closed out another close set, winning 25–23 to take a 2–0 match advantage.
Third Set: North Greenville Shifts Momentum
The home team responded with a dominant offensive performance to swing momentum.
- North Greenville increased its hitting efficiency, while King struggled to find rhythm offensively.
- Despite defensive work from Javier Saldivar, the Tornado dropped the set 25–12.
Fourth Set: Crusaders Continue Pressure
North Greenville carried momentum into the fourth set and controlled tempo early.
- Pliapol and Claiborne continued to generate offense, but King was unable to slow the home attack.
- The set ended 25–18, tying the match at 2–2.
Fifth Set: North Greenville Completes Comeback
The decisive set went firmly in favor of the home team.
- North Greenville jumped ahead early and maintained control throughout the frame.
- King fell 15–7 despite continued effort from Saldivar on defense as the Crusaders completed the reverse sweep.
Match Summary
King finished with 48 kills and a .123 hitting percentage, led by a 20-kill performance from
Carson Pliapol.
Dalton Claiborne (.300 hitting) and
Colton Bueter added key offensive production, while Saldivar anchored the back row with 14 digs. North Greenville countered with 59 kills and a .255 hitting percentage to secure the win.
North Greenville Top Performers
| Player |
Stat Line |
| Yoriano Velez Vega |
21 kills, .341 hitting, 23.0 points |
| Logan Keothavy |
12 kills, 19.0 points |
| Thomas Roper |
12 kills, 13.5 |
| Landon Richter |
9 kills, .438 hitting, 11.0 points |
| Andrew Copp |
49 assists |
Tornado Top Performers
| Player |
Stat Line |
| Carson Pliapol |
20 kills, .244 hitting, 12 digs, 2 aces, 22.0 points |
| Dalton Claiborne |
9 kills, .300 hitting, 2 blocks, 10.0 points |
| Colton Bueter |
9 kills, 7 digs, 9.5 points |
| Brett Lloyd |
6 kills, 7 digs, 7.5 points |
| Kellen Woolm |
3 kills, 3 blocks, 7.5 points |
| Javier Saldivar |
14 digs |
Up Next
The Tornado closed out regular season conference play and will be preparing for the Conference Carolinas Tournament, with the first round on Tuesday, April 14.
