ANDERSON, S.C. – Behind a balanced attack, the Anderson volleyball team wrapped up its five-match homestand by sweeping Newberry, 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-9) in South Atlantic Conference action, Tuesday night at the Abney Athletic Center.
"The team played well offensively for almost the whole match and that was fun to watch," said Anderson head coach Todd Hay. "However, where we have to improve is how we start matches. Every team knows you can't always dig yourself out of a hole all the time. Our passing was very sub-par early on and got better as the match progressed. Maddie and Jenna were effective with their sets and Jaelyn and Noelle were very solid once again. Thank you to all the fans who came out and supported the Trojans!"
Anderson (8-1, 2-0 SAC) won its seventh straight decision, while Newberry (5-4, 0-1 SAC) opened conference play by having its win streak halted at four.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Junior Sadie Kluner and senior middle hitter Noelle Knutsen shared match-high honors with 10 kills apiece, with Knutsen posting a .625 hitting percentage after not committing an error in 16 swings. The Parker, Colo., native also knocked down three block assists and a solo block. Senior outside hitter Liliana Kinder added seven kills, while Hannah Neff and Jaelyn Grimm recorded six kills and five kills, respectively. Kinder and Grimm combined to also tally five block assists on the night.
Senior setter Madison Roy handed out 25 assists in two sets, with junior Jenna Long dishing out 11 assists in the third frame. Alexandra Petrilli came up with 11 digs, while Neff added seven digs. Lindsay McCurley notched six digs and laced three service aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Knutsen led the Trojans with seven kills in the opening frame and even though the Trojans hit a high percentage (.389), it took some time to put some distance between themselves and the Wolves.
With AU trailing, 15-14, Kluner's third kill of the set knotted the score for the ninth time, at 15-15, and after the two teams traded points, back-to-back kills from Knutsen and a kill from Neff capped a brief 5-1 outburst that gave the Trojans the lead for good.
Second Set
Kinder fueled an 8-2 scoring run that snapped a 7-7 deadlock and the Trojans went on to build a late nine-point cushion before finishing with the double-digit win.
Third Set
AU bolted out to a 15-4 advantage and never looked back, as the Black and Gold continued to put pressure on the Wolves and won going away with the 16-point victory.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE GAME
The Trojans posted a season-high .440 attacking percentage, marking the best attacking percentage since notching a .452 hitting accuracy against Livingstone on Nov. 1, 2017. AU hit .402 against UVA Wise on Oct. 5, 2019.
NOTABLES
• Tonight's game marked the first of three meetings with Newberry this season, with the next matchup between the Piedmont Division rivals slated in two weeks – again at the Abney Center – with the third meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 4, at Newberry.
• AU has won 17 of the last 19 matchups with Newberry.
• Three of the last nine matchups have gone the full five-set distance.
• AU holds a 25-9 advantage in the overall series that dates back to the 1999 season.
• Noelle Knutsen's match-best .625 attacking percentage would have matched the seventh-best accuracy in school history, but she was four attempts shy of qualifying.
• Lindsay McCurley needs 15 service aces to take over 10th place for career aces in the school record books.
UP NEXT
Anderson will open a brief two-match road swing at preseason league-favorite Wingate, Friday night. First-serve against the Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m.
