ANDERSON, S.C. – Anderson wrapped up its brief two-match homestand by sweeping South Atlantic Conference-foe UVA Wise, 3-0 (25-18, 25-7, 25-17) in volleyball action, Saturday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.
Anderson improved to 15-4 overall and 9-3 in conference action with its fourth straight win and sixth victory in its last seven decisions. UVA Wise fell to 4-12 and 1-11.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Junior outside hitter Meg Sansbury posted a match-high 10 kills and three digs in just two sets, with senior middle Noelle Knutsen adding nine kills and three solo blocks, while recording a .727 hitting percentage. The Parker, Colo., native committed just one miscue in 11 swings over two sets. Freshman Kaitlyn Barrett and sophomore Brantley Chipley each knocked down six kills apiece and combined to hit .647 on the afternoon.
Junior setter Jenna Long handed out 29 assists in two sets, with senior Madison Roy adding nine assists and a pair of service aces in the third frame. Sophomore Savannah Cox recorded a career-high five aces, with seniors Alexandra Petrilli and Lindsay McCurley each chipping in eight digs apiece over two sets.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Knutsen and Sansbury combined for 11 kills in the opening frame, as the Trojans opened an early 9-3 lead, only to see the Cavaliers bounce back to climb within one on two occasions before taking a 12-11 edge.
AU answered with two quick points before UVA Wise countered with two straight scores of its own to take a brief, 14-13, lead.
Liliana Kinder's second kill of the set knotted the score at 14 apiece and the Trojans steadily built a five-point advantage before pulling away late.
Second Set
The Trojans scorched the record books in the second set with a .650 hitting percentage after posting 13 kills in 20 swings with no errors, while the storyline of the frame was Cox's four aces that helped fuel a run of 14 unanswered points by the Trojans that turned a 3-2 lead into a 17-2 cushion en route to the comfortable win.
Third Set
The Trojans were nearly as accurate in the final set as they were in the second – posting a .619 hitting accuracy.
AU snapped an 8-8 deadlock with an 8-2 surge that was fueled by a pair of kills from both Barrett and Chipley and capped by Roy's first ace of the afternoon. After claiming the six-point lead, the Trojans led by at least six the rest of the way.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
The Trojans posted a school-record .494 hitting percentage – after hitting .440 against Newberry earlier this season and besting the previous school record .452 hitting accuracy set against Livingstone on Nov. 1, 2017.
NOTABLES
• Savannah Cox recorded a career-high five aces, with four coming in the second set.
• The Trojans posted exactly nine service aces for the fourth straight match – which is second only to the 10 aces they served up against Converse in the Electric city Invitational.
• AU hit .402 against UVA Wise on Oct. 5, 2019.
• The Trojans and Cavaliers have met just five times in school history, with AU holding a 5-0 advantage in the overall series.
UP NEXT
In a potential preview of a SAC Tournament Quarterfinal matchup, Anderson opens a two-match road swing by visiting Mountain Division contender Mars Hill on Tuesday. First-serve against the Lions is scheduled for 6 p.m.
