Will Hovey
Riding hot off a two-game winning streak, the UNCG women’s volleyball team looked to open conference play with a bang and did exactly that with a series sweep against the Western Carolina Catamounts. They took the first game on Friday with a score of 3 sets to 0 and the second game the following day with a score of 3 sets to 1.
Game One’s Sweep
The weekend started off with a dominant offensive showing with UNCG notching 20 more kills than WCU, finishing with 51 in only 3 sets. 3 players recorded double digit kills, with Allie Sweet leading the team with 19.
Set 1 began with 3 straight points for the Spartans including 2 kills from Allie Sweet and Connore’ Siler-Nixon. After that strong start, the two teams fought back and forth, with the largest lead since the 12th point being only 2 points. The battle came to a 22-22 tie, where the Spartans proceeded to finish strong by scoring 3 straight points to end the set in a 25-22 win.
Set 2 opened the same as the previous one did with another 3 straight points to open the set. However, the Catamounts tied it up at 4 a couple of points later. This was not a worry for the Spartans as they exploded for a 13-2 run to gain complete control of the set. They carried this momentum all the way to the finish and won this set 25-14, ending with a Kendall Lanclos kill.
The final set of Friday’s match proved the most difficult of the three with the Spartans not gaining the advantage until the 27th serve when they led 14-13. From this point on, each side traded points until it was all tied up at 21. But a familiar pattern would continue with another dominant finish by the Spartans. Allie Sweet and Connore’ Siler-Nixon traded kills to end the set 25-21 and complete the match with a sweep.
Game Two’s Back and Forth Battles
Like Friday’s game, Saturday’s showdown was another successful match against the Catamounts but in a different fashion. Western Carolina led this match in kills and assists. It was still not enough for them, though. The Spartans recorded an impressive 11 total blocks and 7 aces.
Set 1 was a tale of two streaks, with both teams going on impressive runs throughout. After being tied at 3, the Spartans scored 7 straight to take an impressive 10-3 lead. That lead stood strong for a while but was lost after an 8-1 run by the Catamounts that would give them the advantage at 18-17. This run was not enough, however, as UNCG would take the lead back and never lose it, winning the set 25-21.
Set 2 saw both teams trade 3-0 starts to begin the set, which was then followed by a back-and-forth affair all the way until the end. With the score being tied up at 24, UNCG took care of business and closed out the set, winning 26-24—the closest final of the weekend series so far.
The third set saw WCU get out to a quick lead largely due to an 8-1 run that gave them a 12-6 lead. UNCG followed this up shortly after with a run of their own, going 10-2 to take the lead 16-14. The teams once again traded points, and the game was tied at 24. The Catamounts were able to score twice in a row to take their first and only set of the weekend.
The final set from Saturday’s match was all Spartans as they were able to go on multiple high scoring runs. The first came at an 11-11 tie where UNCG outscored WCU 7-1 followed by another run at 19-14 where the Spartans scored 6 to WCU’s 1, ending the set and match at 25-15.
SoCon Schedule Beginning
With conference play in full swing now, UNCG looks to keep their hot streak going as they have increased their win streak to 4. The impressive play of junior Allie Sweet continues as she won the SoCon Offensive Player of the Week award for the second week in a row. She finished the series with 40 kills, 23 digs, and 7 blocks.
The women travel to Spartanburg, South Carolina, for their first SoCon road series to take on the Wofford College Terriers. The Terriers have also opened their conference play with 2 wins against Chattanooga and are on a 3-game win streak. Hoping for another sweep, the Spartans could take the top spot in the conference.
Headline image from Wikipedia
