CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College Blue Hose volleyball team (5-15, 1-6) fell in a hard-fought four-set match to the USC Upstate Spartans (8-11, 3-3) on Sunday afternoon, losing 3-1 (13-25, 25-19, 12-25, 23-25).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST SET
The Blue Hose came out firing, jumping to an early 5-1 lead with a pair of kills from Julia Yurkovich, one from Anna Baranski, and a service ace from Courtney Williams. While another Yurkovich kill briefly maintained PC's momentum, Upstate responded by cutting the lead to 6-5. Ava Smith added her first kill of the day, but the Spartans answered with five straight points, taking a 10-7 lead.
 
Smith broke the run with a powerful strike down the left side, but Upstate continued to push forward, extending their advantage to 14-8. By the media timeout, the Spartans held a 15-9 lead.
 
Coming out of the break, Upstate quickly added another kill, but PC fought back with kills from Williams and Brittney Daphnis, along with a crucial block by Elyse Hutchinson and Yurkovich. Despite the effort, three consecutive points from the other side forced PC to call a timeout at 19-12.
 
Upstate then closed out the set decisively, taking six of the last seven points to secure a 25-13 victory.
 
SECOND SET
Ashley Miller made an immediate impact after checking into the match for the first time, picking up two quick kills and helping PC jump out to a 3-0 lead. The teams traded points, with another kill from Miller and one from Williams pushing the Blue Hose's lead to 6-3. Upstate answered with three kills and an ace, taking their first lead of the set at 7-6, but a kill from Hutchinson tied the score again.
 
Baranski followed with a quick kill on the second touch, and another from Miller kept Presby's momentum going. An attack error by Upstate extended PC's lead to 10-7. The Spartans responded with two kills, but Hutchinson fired off three straight kills, forcing Upstate to call a timeout as the Blue Hose pulled ahead 13-9.
 
After the timeout, the Spartans went on a five-point run, taking a 14-13 lead. Miller quickly answered with back-to-back kills, putting PC back on top. A service ace from Celimar Hoyos and an Upstate attack error extended the Blue Hose's advantage to 17-14. However, a four-point run by the Spartans gave them an 18-17 lead, prompting PC to call a timeout.
 
Following the break, Presbyterian outscored Upstate 4-2, with kills from Miller and Williams, and a block from Yurkovich and Daphnis. After a timeout by the Spartans, Williams registered a kill and teamed up with Daphnis for a block, before Miller's ace brought up set point at 24-19. Another block from Williams and Daphnis sealed the set for PC, winning it 25-19.
 
THIRD SET
Despite a kill from Miller, Upstate raced out to an early 5-1 lead in the third set before a service error halted their momentum. Daphnis responded with a well-placed ace, and a kill from Williams tied the score at 5-5. PC briefly took the lead with another point, but the Spartans answered with six consecutive points, prompting a Presbyterian timeout with the Blue Hose trailing 11-6.
 
Following the break, PC managed to add two points, including a kill from Hutchinson, but Upstate responded with a dominant 7-1 run, extending their lead to 18-9 and forcing Presbyterian to use their final timeout of the set. The Spartans added another point to their run before Hutchinson's kill ended the streak.
 
Three of the next four points went to Upstate, putting them firmly in control at 22-12 after a kill from Williams. The Spartans' Ali Jansen closed out the set with three consecutive kills, securing a 25-12 victory.
 
FOURTH SET
The fourth set began with both teams exchanging kills, with PC's coming from Miller and Williams. A pair of points from both sides, including a solid block by Smith and Hutchinson, tied the score at 4-4. Upstate claimed the next two points, but Smith responded with a kill to keep it a one-point game. After a Spartan kill, Hutchinson answered with one of her own.
 
The Spartans tallied two more kills and a service ace, but the Blue Hose fired back with three points led by a Miller kill and a block from Williams and Daphnis, cutting the deficit to 10-9. The next two points went to Upstate, but Williams followed with back-to-back kills and Miller added an ace, tying the score at 12-12.
 
Williams continued her strong play with another kill and a solo block to level the set at 14-14, before Upstate edged ahead 15-14 heading into the media timeout. After the break, a kill from Smith and an ace from Amaris Alvarez tied things up again at 16-16. However, the Spartans responded with three unanswered kills to take a 19-16 lead, forcing PC to call a timeout.
 
Hutchinson delivered a strong kill after the pause, but Upstate answered with one of their own. Miller and Williams added kills to their tallies, forcing the Spartans to call a timeout with PC trailing by just one point at 20-19. Miller tied the score at 20 with a kill, but the Spartans quickly responded with one of their own.
 
Williams registered another kill, and Miller followed with an ace, giving PC a 22-21 advantage late in the set. After another Upstate timeout, the Spartans came back with two kills, tying the score at 23-23. Despite Presbyterian's effort late in the game, Upstate finished the match with a pair of kills, taking the fourth set 25-23.
 
NOTABLES
- Williams finished with 13 kills at an impressive .385 hitting percentage while adding four blocks and a service ace.
- Miller took 12 kills and three service aces.
- Baranski recorded 34 assists and 12 digs.
- Hoyos tallied 21 digs and a service ace.
- Hutchinson posted nine kills at a .444 hitting percentage with two blocks.
 
UP NEXT
The Blue Hose begin the second half of their Big South Conference schedule with a streak of road matches beginning next week against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs.