HPU Volleyball Picks Up Big South Road Win At Campbell

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The High Point University volleyball team picked up a Big South Conference road win on Friday with a four-set victory at Campbell. Redshirt-freshman Savannah Angel posted a career-high 15 kills to lead four Panthers with double-digit kills.

“When we needed them to the team stepped up and made focused, organized plays,” said head coach Jason Oliver. “We played our best in the fourth set and I am proud of the girls for finding a way to win against a good Campbell team on the road. Savannah is a redshirt-freshman who is starting to play like an upperclassman. I am very excited about her continued development.”

Angel hit .414 with a career-high 15 kills and five blocks to lead the Panthers in the 3-1 (25-16, 25-22, 26-28, 25-18) win. Junior Kristin Heldt added 13 kills and 15 digs for a double-double while junior Chelsea Davis also had a double-double with 12 kills, 14 digs and a career-high six blocks. Junior Katie Vincent tallied 11 kills and five blocks.

Katelyn Layden led the Camels with 14 kills and 11 digs. Alexis Hein added 12 kills and Jessica Groen finished the match with 11 kills.

With the win High Point improves to 11-12 overall and 5-3 in Big South play. The Panthers sit in a five-way tie for second place with Gardner-Webb, Coastal Carolina, Liberty and Presbyterian College. Radford has sole possession of first place with a 6-2 mark against league opponents.

Campbell drops to 13-12 for the season and 3-5 in the Big South.

High Point overcame an early Campbell lead to tie the opening frame 10-10 on an ace by freshman Megan Kennedy. Vincent followed with a kill and a block to give HPU a two-point advantage, 12-10. After a kill by Groen sided out for the Camels, HPU went on a seven-point run with Vincent at the service line that pushed High Point’s lead to 19-11. The Panthers finished the frame for a 25-16 victory.

The Panthers took the lead early, 3-2, in the second frame on a kill by Angel. High Point maintained a two-point lead at 14-12 on another kill by Angel. Senior Maddie Simpson went back to serve, helping HPU build its lead to 18-12 with a four-point run that included one ace and two big High Point blocks.

Campbell continued to fight in the set, getting back within two points of HPU twice, first at 23-21 and again at 24-22, both times on kills by Lindsey Coats. Heather Wilson served a ball long to give HPU the final point of the frame and the win, 25-22.

Annemarie Chin made an incredible diving dig to set up a kill by Heldt that gave High Point a 9-6 lead in the third set. It started a four-point run that included two blocks by Simpson and Vincent and a kill by Simpson that built HPU’s lead to 12-6.

The Camels came all the way back to tie the set 18-18 with a kill by Lorin Thomas. Campbell took the lead all the way to set point, 24-22, which forced an HPU timeout. After the break Angel had a kill and a block, alongside Davis, to tie the set 24-24. Twice HPU took the lead for match point, 25-24 and 26-25 but both times Campbell was able to side out. Finally Campbell pulled out the 28-26 win on a kill by Hein.

High Point broke an early tie in the fourth set to take an 11-10 lead on a Campbell attack error. Angel scored the next four points for HPU as the Panthers held on to a 15-13 lead. High Point slowly built its lead to six points, opening up a 21-15 lead. It was enough to spur the Panthers to a 25-18 win.

Simpson finished the match with 43 assists, six digs, five blocks, two aces and two kills. Annemarie Chin had a match-high 29 digs and four assists.

High Point will continue its road trip next weekend with matches at UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb. HPU and UNC Asheville will face off on Friday at 7 p.m.