NEWBERRY, S.C. – Paced by junior Marissa Mitter's match-high 20 kills, the Anderson University volleyball team snapped a three-game skid by rallying past South Atlantic Conference opponent Newberry, 3-1 (23-25, 27-25, 25-20, 25-20) Tuesday night at Eleazer Arena.
Anderson (5-4, 2-0 SAC) wrapped up a nine-match road swing with its seventh consecutive win over Newberry (3-6, 0-1), which has dropped five of its last six decisions.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Mitter posted her fifth double-double of the season, with a match-best 20 kills, while equaling a season-high with 16 digs. Senior Rachel Burts chipped in seven kills, with junior Serena Jackson and senior Allison Gaminde each notching six kills for the Trojans. Freshman setter Emily Conlin recorded a match-high 41 assists and added 17 digs for her second double-double in three outings. Sophomore Emily Conard came up with 24 digs, marking her eighth double-figure tally of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The largest lead by either squad in the opening set was four - by the Trojans - but a late Anderson rally was not enough to offset a pair of scoring runs that propelled Newberry to the narrow win. The Wolves outlasted a balanced Anderson offensive attack by overcoming nine attack errors.
After the Trojans claimed a 13-9 advantage on Burts' first kill of the night, Newberry countered with five unanswered points to give the Wolves their first lead since 4-3. Newberry pushed out to a three-point edge and held a 23-20 advantage before freshman Kathryn Hughes knocked down a kill in the first of three straight AU points. Burts followed with a kill, then teamed with Allison Gaminde for a block that knotted the score at 23 apiece. But the Wolves responded with back-to-back kills for the win.
Second Set
The second frame saw the Trojans outlast a late Newberry rally after AU had opened up a 21-17 advantage.
AU opened an early 6-3 lead with Conard serving and edged out to a 15-9 cushion, but Newberry again mounted a comeback behind a 7-2 scoring outburst that saw the home team climb within 17-16 before committing a service error that slowed its momentum.
Hughes and Conlin posted back-to-back blocks to boost AU's leads back to five, but the Wolves chipped away and pulled even at 23-23, but the Trojans refused to allow Newberry to take the lead, with Burts posting a solo block to give the Black and Gold the lead and Mitter closed the set with a kill.
Third Set
The Trojans pushed out to a 9-4 advantage behind kills from four different players that prompted a timeout by Newberry, with the Wolves countering by posting five consecutive points to even the score. Trailing, 11-10, the Trojans reeled off an 11-3 scoring outburst that was fueled by a pair of kills from Mitter and three service aces. After seeing AU build a 22-14 cushion, the Wolves trimmed the deficit to 24-20, but Mitter shut the door with her 13th kill of the night.
Fourth Set
AU eliminated the need for a fifth set with a decisive 9-0 run midway through the frame, as the Trojan defense posted four blocks during the surge. After opening an 18-10 cushion, Anderson pushed the lead to double figures (21-11) on kills from Gaminde and Mackey, along with a Newberry error.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Trojans recorded a season-high 20 block assists.
NOTABLES
• Mitter's double-double was the eighth of her stellar career.
• Conard has reached double-figure digs in 33 matches in less than two full collegiate seasons.
• The Trojans' .200 hitting percentage was the fifth-highest of the season.
• Mitter leads the SAC with 115 kills and ranks third with 3.71 kills per set.
• Conard leads the conference with 150 digs on the season.
• Conlin leads the SAC with 345 assists and is second with 10.15 assists per set.
• Jackson stands ninth in the league with 72 kills.
• AU is undefeated in three-set matches this season and improved to 2-3 in four-set matches with the win.
UP NEXT
Anderson opens its home slate by playing host to defending conference champion Carson-Newman Friday at the Abney Athletic Center. First-serve is set for 7 p.m.
