GREENSBORO, N.C.—Greensboro College’s Carly Uhlir posted 26 kills and 25 digs over the Pride’s Saturday morning and afternoon doubleheader with Meredith College. The Avenging Angels squeaked out a victory in the opening USA South Athletic Conference (USA South) contest, 3-2 (25-22, 20-25, 21-25, 25-18, 14-16), while the Pride took the non-conference contest that followed, 3-1 (25-19, 25-17, 27-25, 25-23).
Uhlir led the team offensively in the first match with 16 kills and .220 hitting percentage while also amassing 13 digs for her second double-double of the season. She posted her third double-double of the year in the second match by posting 12 kills and 12 digs.
Meredith hit .205 in the opening set to claim a three-point lead despite the Pride only committing five attack errors in the set. The Pride’s defense proved strong in the second set where Greensboro chopped Meredith’s hitting percentage down to .049 for the set. The Avenging Angels forced the Pride in a negative hitting percentage in the third set as Meredith took a 2-1 lead in the match. The Pride roared back in the fourth set, holding the Avenging Angels to a .022 hitting percentage as Greensboro evened the match, 2-2.
The Pride gained a 5-2 advantage early in the fifth set and carried a four-point lead, 8-4, but Meredith scored four of the next five points to cut the lead down to one. The Pride claimed an 11-8 lead, but Meredith went on a 5-2 rally to even the contest, 13-13. After the Pride’s only set-point of the set, Meredith scored the next three points to claim the conference win. Each side hit a blistering .391 for the fifth set with the Pride only registering one attack error and posting kills on ten of their 14 points in the set.
Greensboro came back for revenge in the first set of the second match, posting a .158 hitting percentage in a six-point first-set win. The Pride flattened Meredith in the second set on the power of a .344 hitting percentage and only four attack errors in the set. Meredith took the third set despite the Pride outhitting the Avenging Angels, .222 to .100, with the Pride only posting three attack errors. Greensboro sealed the win in the fourth set, hitting .184 and posting only four attack errors to earn the non-conference win.
Hailey Stout (Elon, N.C./Western Alamance) posted 20 kills and matched Uhlir’s day-high in digs with 25. Stout posted a .182 hitting percentage in the second match and amassed 16 digs. Katrina O’Neill was the remaining Pride hitter in the first match to post double-digit kills, tallying eleven kills while hitting .147 and posting four blocking assists at the net. O’Neill added eight kills and hit .333 in the second match while tallying three blocking assists. Olivia Norris led the Pride’s setters in the first match with 24 assists while Jasmine Youngthunder tallied 18 digs from the setter’s position. Lauren Mantel led the Pride’s back row with 38 total digs on the day, 22 in the first match, while adding eight set assists in the first match.
Ally Copenhaver led Meredith with 23 kills over both matches. Hailey Long added 23 kills and hit .156 in the second match. Lauren Phillips led the back row with 48 digs over both matches.
The Pride held a .143 to .132 hitting advantage over the Avenging Angels in the first match and held a more decisive advantage in the second match, .222 to .106. The Pride held a slight edge in first-match digs, 86-83, and in second-match digs, 67-66.
The Pride returns to action Thursday, facing Mary Baldwin University for a 4:30 p.m. doubleheader with the USA South contest opening Thursday’s play.
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Courtesy of Bryan Jones, Greensboro College Sports Information Director