ANDERSON, S.C. – Noelle Knutsen and Rylie Sargent combined for 23 kills to help propel the Anderson volleyball team to a sweep of Lander, 3-0, (25-20, 25-19, 25-18) in non-conference action, Tuesday night at the Abney Athletic Center.
Anderson improved to 18-4 with its seventh consecutive win and its ninth victory in 10 decisions, while Lander (15-7) suffered its third loss in five outings.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Knutsen led all players with a dozen kills, while adding a pair of solo blocks and a block assist, with Sargent tallying 11 kills and two block assists. Senior outside hitter Liliana Kinder posted eight kills, with junior Jaelyn Grimm adding six kills, three block assists and a solo block.
Junior Jenna Long handed out 41 assists and came up with five digs, with senior Lindsay McCurley recording 18 digs and senior Alexandra Petrilli chipping in 10 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
With four Trojans posting at least two kills in the opening set, AU opened an early three-point lead, but was unable to garner more than a four-point advantage, with the Bearcats using a 5-1 run to take their first lead, at 14-13.
The Trojans battled back to take a brief, 16-15, edge but the set featured four more deadlocked scores before Sargent's third kill of the set snapped a 19-19 tie and ignited a final 6-1 surge by AU, with Grimm finishing off the win with an ace.
Second Set
Knutsen snapped an early 4-4 tie with her first solo block of the night and sparked a 9-3 scoring outburst that gave AU a 13-7 advantage and a lead the Trojans wouldn't surrender.
With Sargent knocking down a team-high six kills during the frame, the Trojans opened a late seven-point cushion and went on to claim the win on a kill from Knutsen.
Third Set
Lander scored the first point of the set, but the Trojans countered with five unanswered points to take an early lead before the Bearcats answered with a 9-3 run of their own to claim a brief 11-8 advantage.
The Bearcats still led, 16-14, when Sargent knocked down a kill to spark a 9-2 match-ending run by the Trojans that featured at least two kills by three different players.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE GAME
Sargent and Knutsen combined to hit .415 on the night.
NOTABLES
• AU finished its non-conference slate with a 7-1 mark.
• Tuesday night's match marked Lander's first visit to the Abney Athletic Center since the 2013 season.
• Tuesday night's matchup also marked the first meeting between the Trojans and Bearcats since the 2018 NCAA Southeast Regional and just the fifth matchup since the 2012 season.
• After posting exactly nine service aces in six consecutive matches, AU recorded on Tuesday night.
• Junior Jenna Long has averaged 13.50 assists per set over the past three matches.
• AU has notched 11 sweeps this season.
• The Trojans and Bearcats have met just 18 times over the past 25 years, with Lander holding a 10-8 advantage.
UP NEXT
Anderson will travel to Catawba for the second meeting of the season against the Indians on Friday night, with the matchup slated as part of Catawba's Homecoming Weekend. First-serve in Salisbury, N.C., is scheduled for 7 p.m.
