Sweet Breaks Single Season Kills Record as Volleyball Drops Five-Set Battle at Mercer
MACON, GA. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) volleyball team dropped a five-set battle with the Mercer Bears (25-20, 22-25, 19-25, 25-19, 4-15) on Friday night in The Southern Conference (SoCon) action inside Hawkins Arena.
After leading today’s match with 27 kills, junior outside hitter Allie Sweet has now broken the UNCG volleyball program record for most kills in a single season with 570 so far on the 2026 campaign. The record was previously set by Branagan Fuller in the 2007 season with 543 kills.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 – UNCG jumped out to a 4-0 lead, highlighted by a Chloe Nussbaum service ace and an Izora Gragg kill. After Mercer moved ahead 12-9, the Spartans answered with five straight points, including a block by Siena Smiejek and Gragg and kills from Sweet and Smiejek. Mercer later trimmed UNCG’s advantage to 20-19, but three consecutive Sweet kills and a Kendall Lanclos ace helped the Spartans pull away for a 25-20 set one win.
Set 2 – Mercer built an early 8-2 advantage, but UNCG worked its way back into the frame. Trailing 16-9, the Spartans strung together five straight points, with Smiejek contributing two kills and Sweet adding another. Back-to-back Hailey Clifton kills later brought UNCG within one at 19-18. Lanclos served an ace down the stretch, and a block by Gragg and Connore’ Siler-Nixon kept the Spartans within two at 24-22 before Mercer secured the set, 25-22.
Set 3 – Neither team led by more than one through a 14-14 tie, with Sweet supplying four kills during the opening stretch. Mercer then created separation, moving ahead 19-16. Sweet added two more kills later in the frame, while she and Siler-Nixon teamed up for a block, but the Bears took the set, 25-19.
Set 4 – Facing a 2-1 match deficit, UNCG opened the fourth set with four straight points and extended its lead to 6-1 behind consecutive Sweet kills. Mercer eventually edged ahead 19-18, but the Spartans responded with a decisive seven-point run. Siler-Nixon sparked the surge with a kill, while Lanclos added an ace and Sweet delivered two kills, including the set winner, to force a fifth frame with a 25-19 victory.
Set 5 – Sweet put UNCG on the board first and accounted for three of the Spartans’ four kills in the deciding set. Mercer answered with five straight points and later pulled away to take the frame, 15-4, and the match.
BY THE NUMBERS
Sweet’s 27 kills tonight marked her 15th match this season with 20-plus kills.
Sweet recorded her 43rd career double-double and 20th this season with 27 kills and 11 digs.
Gragg notched her 23rd career double-double and 11th of the season after leading UNCG with 39 assists and adding 10 digs.
Lanclos paced the Spartans with three service aces.
Nussbaum led the Blue & Gold with 21 digs.
Siler-Nixon and Gragg paced UNCG with five blocks apiece, while Smiejek added four.
RECORDS
UNCG: 19-9, 12-5 SoCon
MER: 17-12, 11-6 SoCon
UP NEXT
UNCG will conclude the 2026 regular season with its second match at Mercer tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. inside Hawkins Arena.
from Emma White
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro