HPU Volleyball Collects 23rd Straight Big South Win in Four Sets Over CSU

Site: Charleston, S.C. (CSU Field House)
Score: High Point 3, Charleston Southern 1 (25-21, 26-24, 25-23, 25-11)
Records: HPU 15-5 (7-0 Big South), Charleston Southern 6-11 2-5 Big South)
Next HPU Event: Saturday, October 16, 2021 — vs. Charleston Southern (Charleston, S.C.), 6 PM

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University volleyball team picked up its first win of the weekend against Charleston Southern in four sets as the Panthers acquired their 23rd consecutive Big South Win on Friday night (Oct. 15). Freshman Sydney Palazzolo led the way for HPU in kills with 16 in the win for the Purple & White. Dylan Maberry and Gabrielle Idlebird also played a key role in the Panther offense on Friday night as Maberry had 13 kills in the match while Idlebird had 12.

Ryan Meek: “I was happy to see us figure out how to win the first two sets not playing our best but we have to bring more to the court. Charleston Southern punishes mistakes and we made a boatload of them tonight. Our hitting kept us in it but we can’t always count on that. I was happy with our response in the fourth set, but that needs to be our response at the beginning of the match”

Panther Particulars

After a back and forth beginning to the first set, Sopheea Mink was able to give her Panthers a tie at five after a kill. Jenny Wessling served up two aces to put HPU up 9-6 early in the first set.

Palazzolo pushed the Panther lead to 10-8 in the first set with her first kill of the night,

Maberry would deliver an impressive kill that put HPU up 15-13. A 5-2 run from CSU gave the Bucs an 18-17 advantage. A block from Idlebird and Palazzolo would tie the set at 18.

Maria Miggins would deliver a key kill to put her Panthers up 21-20. A 4-1 run would power HPU to the first set win 25-21.

HPU jumped out to a 9-7 lead to start the second set as Mink provided another kill.

High Point stayed in front as the duo of Palazzolo and Idlebird were able to team up again and provide a block to give HPU a 15-13 lead in the second set.

With CSU leading 19-18 HPU went on a 3-0 run to make it 21-19 the 21st Panther point was provided by Palazzolo on a kill.

CSU took a 24-23 advantage and was a point away from tying the match at a set apiece. Idlebird helped spark a 3-0 run to lead HPU to a 26-24 set win. Idlebird contributed to two out of the three points in the set clinching run supplying both a kill and a block.

In the third set, High Point trailed by as many as seven being down 11-4 at one point. The Panthers charged back and tied the game at 14. From there the set went back and forth. CSU took a 23-20 lead but before the Bucs could close out the set HPU went on a three-point run to tie the game at 23.

CSU went on to score two straight to win the third and cut the Panthers sets lead in half making it only a 2-1 lead for High Point.

The Purple & White responded winning the fourth set 25-11. Palazzolo had four kills in the match-clinching set.

Senior Mackenzi Thornburg had two aces in the set early that helped build momentum in HPU’s runaway fourth set.

High Point won the match 3-1 and improve to 15-5 overall and 7-0 in the Big South.

UP NEXT

It’s a quick turnaround for the Panthers as HPU heads to Clinton, S.C. to face the Blue Hose of Presbyterian at 2:00 on Saturday (October 16).