UNCG Volleyball Rallies Past The Citadel for Four-Set Win
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) volleyball team bounced back from a narrow first-set loss to defeat The Citadel Bulldogs, 3-1 (27-29, 25-20, 25-17, 25-11) in The Southern Conference (SoCon) action Saturday afternoon inside Bodford Arena.
UNCG volleyball alumni were in attendance and recognized prior to Saturday’s victory over The Citadel.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 – The Citadel opened with an 8-3 lead, but UNCG answered with a run of its own to tie the set at nine. The teams traded points from there. After the Bulldogs moved ahead 24-20, the Spartans scored five straight to take a 25-24 lead and force extra points. The Citadel regrouped and claimed the final two points for a 29-27 win.
Set 2 – The teams were even at 10 before UNCG took over. The Spartans scored eight unanswered points, with Kendall Lanclos and Connore’ Siler-Nixon helping lead the push, to build an 18-10 advantage. The Bulldogs cut into the lead late, but kills from Allie Sweet and Lanclos helped UNCG close out the set, 25-20.
Set 3 – UNCG jumped out to a 3-0 lead and later pushed a 14-11 advantage to 19-11 with five consecutive points. Sweet, Siena Smiejek and Hailey Clifton contributed during the stretch. The Spartans stayed in front and finished the set, 25-17, to take a 2-1 match lead.
Set 4 – The Spartans built an early 5-1 lead and widened the gap to 13-4. UNCG kept the pressure on, reaching a 23-10 advantage before Sweet served an ace for match point, 25-11.
BY THE NUMBERS
Sweet registered her 35th career double-double and 12th of the season, leading the match with 24 kills and adding 12 digs.
Izora Gragg notched her 18th career double-double and sixth of the season after pacing the contest with 46 assists and notching 12 digs.
Clifton and Lanclos chipped in 10 kills apiece to round out the Spartans with double-digit kills.
Chloe Nussbaum led the match with 20 digs, while Mia Nicklas added 11.
Smiejek paced the contest with seven blocks, while Siler-Nixon and Gragg recorded five blocks apiece.
Gragg’s five blocks marked a new career-best.
UNCG totaled 12 blocks to The Citadel’s six.
RECORDS
UNCG: 11-7, 4-3 SoCon
CIT: 4-15, 1-6 SoCon
UP NEXT
The Spartans travel to Cookeville, Tennessee, to take on new SoCon member Tennessee Tech on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT and Saturday, Oct. 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET | 7:00 p.m. CT in the Eblen Center.
Courtesy of Emma White
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro