ANDERSON, S.C. – Using a balanced attack, the Anderson University volleyball team opened its final two-match homestand of the regular season by outpacing Catawba, 3-1 (25-7, 25-14, 20-25, 25-22) Friday night at the Abney Athletic Center.
Anderson (20-4, 16-3 SAC) has won two straight decisions and eight of its last nine, while Catawba (6-17, 4-15 SAC) has dropped seven of its last eight outings.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Junior Kaitlyn Grube led the Trojans with 12 kills on the strength of a .308 hitting percentage, while sophomore Noelle Knutsen added 10 kills on an impressive .643 hitting accuracy. Fellow sophomore Maya Learmonth and senior Kathryn Hughes each tallied seven kills apiece, with Hughes notching four block assists on the night in her first action of the season. Senior Hailee Wilhelm also notched seven kills to go along with three service aces.
Senior setter Emily Conlin posted her 15th double-double of the season by handing out 42 assists and coming up with 11 digs. Freshman Lindsay McCurley recorded 16 digs and four service aces, with freshman Alexandra Petrilli adding 11 digs and three aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The Trojans doubled up Catawba, 10-5, on a kill by Learmonth and built a double-digit cushion, at 15-5, on another kill by the Pflugerville, Texas, native. AU closed the set with a 10-2 run.
Second Set
AU roared out to an 11-4 advantage and never looked back, as the Trojans claimed the late 11-point edge.
Third Set
The Indians jumped out to an early lead and while AU stayed within striking distance, the Trojans were unable to overcome the early deficit.
Fourth Set
The final set saw Catawba bolt out to a quick 6-1 lead before the Trojans rallied to take their first lead behind a 9-3 scoring outburst.
The score was deadlocked nine more times before back-to-back errors by the Indians gave AU a 24-22 lead and McCurley clinched the win with an ace.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
The 10 total blocks on the night marked the fifth-highest total of the season for the Trojans, while the .240 hitting percentage was the sixth-best.
NOTABLES
• Prior to the match, the Trojans recognized a trio of seniors - Kathryn Hughes, Hailee Wilhelm and Emily Conlin will be making their final regular-season appearances at the Abney Center, Saturday afternoon. The three veterans have helped lead the Black and Gold to 95 victories during their careers, four South Atlantic Conference Tournament appearances - including the 2017 Regular Season Championship - and three NCAA Tournament appearances – with a fourth close on the horizon.
• The Trojans have reached the 20+ win plateau for the third consecutive season and fourth time in six seasons.
• Kathryn Hughes made her first appearance of the season.
• Emily Conlin is now the school's all-time career assist leader. The Glendale, Ariz., native now has 4,824 career assists.
UP NEXT
Anderson welcomes Queens to the Electric City on Saturday for the Trojans' final regular-season home contest of the season. AU will be looking to avenge an earlier five-set loss to the Royals earlier this season. First-serve is scheduled for 5 p.m.