CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College volleyball team (9-18, 5-9) defeated the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (7-20, 4-10) 3-1 (26-24, 25-19, 20-25, 30-28).
 
On Friday night, the Blue Hose honored three seniors before taking down the Buccaneers and securing their spot as the sixth seed in the 2024 Big South Volleyball Tournament.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Anna Baranski set the tone early, opening the match with an electrifying service ace. Ashley Miller and Courtney Williams added kills as the teams battled to a 3-3 tie. A service ace from Courtney Aulbaugh, followed by another Williams kill, gave the Blue Hose a 5-3 lead. However, Charleston Southern responded with five unanswered points to pull ahead 8-5. Julia Yurkovich stepped up with two kills, helping Presbyterian even the score at eight apiece. An exchange of points featured kills from Elyse Hutchinson, Baranski, and Miller, as the tie persisted at 12-12. Charleston Southern edged ahead 14-12, but Miller's timely kill kept PC within striking distance, sending the match to the media timeout with CSU ahead 15-13.
 
Coming out of the break, kills from Miller, Hutchinson, and Baranski brought PC back into contention, tying the score at 16-16. The back-and-forth continued, with the tie extending to 20-20. Williams broke the deadlock with a powerful kill, giving PC a one-point lead. Charleston Southern quickly countered with two points, but the Blue Hose pushed back as Miller recorded consecutive kills, edging PC ahead 23-22. The Buccaneers tied it once more, prompting a PC timeout at 23-23.
 
Out of the huddle, Williams delivered a clutch kill to give PC set point at 24-23, forcing a CSU timeout. After the break, Charleston Southern managed to tie it again, but Williams responded with another kill to keep the Blue Hose in front. With the set on the line, Baranski rose for a solo block, rejecting a powerful CSU attack to secure the set for Presbyterian, 26-24.
 
Second Set
PC jumped to an early 3-0 lead behind a Williams kill and a service ace from Miller. Charleston Southern quickly narrowed the gap to 4-3, and an exchange of points tied the set at 6-6. Kills from Miller and Baranski gave the Blue Hose an 8-6 edge. Although the Buccaneers stayed close with a kill, Williams responded with another powerful strike, extending PC's lead to 10-7. CSU then went on a four-point run to take an 11-10 advantage. A service error tied the game once more at 11-11, and Presbyterian countered with three consecutive points to claim a 14-11 lead, prompting a Buccaneer timeout.
 
After the pause, the teams traded points, with contributions from Yurkovich and Williams, as well as a block from Williams and Hutchinson, keeping the Blue Hose ahead 17-14. The back-and-forth continued, highlighted by kills from Yurkovich, Hutchinson, and Baranski, as Presbyterian maintained a 20-17 lead. Another strong kill from Williams forced CSU to burn their final timeout with PC leading 21-17.
 
Williams came out of the break with yet another kill, keeping PC in control. Charleston Southern managed a response, but Yurkovich's emphatic kill brought the Blue Hose to set point at 24-18. Although the Buccaneers added one late point, Hutchinson delivered a thunderous attack to secure the second set for PC, 25-19.
 
Third Set
Charleston Southern opened the third set with a four-point run before Williams broke their momentum with a kill. After another CSU point, Williams delivered another kill, followed by a solo block from Yurkovich, reducing the deficit to 5-4. The Buccaneers responded with three of the next four points despite a strong kill from Hutchinson, pushing their lead to 8-5. An exchange of scores brought the tally to 11-8 in CSU's favor before the opponents surged ahead with a five-point rally, sending the set to the media timeout at 15-8.
 
Following the break, the teams alternated points, including a solo block from Miller, moving the score to 18-11. A CSU point prompted PC to take a timeout, which was followed by a forceful kill from Yurkovich. However, Charleston Southern extended their advantage to 21-12.
 
The Blue Hose fought back, claiming three of the next four points with kills from Miller and Hutchinson, trimming the gap to 22-15. After the Buccaneers reached set point at 24-16, PC mounted a late push with four consecutive points, fueled by a service ace from Baranski and a kill from Miller. Despite the surge, CSU closed out the set with a kill, taking it 25-20.
 
Fourth Set
The Blue Hose came out firing in the fourth set, jumping to an early 3-0 lead with kills from Miller and Williams. The Buccaneers quickly responded with two points, but Miller's powerful kill kept PC in control. A steady exchange of points included another Williams kill, maintaining a 6-4 lead for Presbyterian. Charleston Southern clawed back to tie the score at 6-6, but PC answered with a CSU service error, an ace from Yurkovich, and a kill from Baranski to take a 9-6 lead.
 
CSU trimmed the deficit to 9-8 before Baranski and Hutchinson combined for a key block to halt their momentum. Baranski then joined forces with Daphnis for another crucial block, allowing PC to extend their lead to 11-8. The Buccaneers responded, tying the set at 12-12 and briefly surging ahead 14-12. Unshaken, the Blue Hose countered with a block from Daphnis and Williams to knot the score at 14-14. Presbyterian edged ahead at 15-14 after a Yurkovich-Daphnis block assist before the media timeout.
 
CSU regained a 16-15 lead, but Yurkovich delivered two emphatic kills to level the score at 17-17. Baranski added another kill to nudge PC in front, but the Buccaneers answered with three straight points to take a 20-18 advantage. Following a PC timeout, the teams battled back and forth, with the Blue Hose narrowing the gap to 22-20. Daphnis slipped a kill past CSU's defense to tie the set at 22-22. Two attack errors from the Buccaneers handed PC set point, but CSU regrouped to tie the score at 24-24.
 
Baranski and Daphnis teamed up for another block, yet the Buccaneers responded with two kills to reach set point. With the game on the line, Williams and Yurkovich notched back-to-back kills, flipping the lead to 27-26 in PC's favor. Even after a clutch kill by Yurkovich, CSU tied the score once again at 28-28. Miller delivered a booming kill to reclaim the advantage for the Blue Hose, and Aliza Hart sealed the marathon set with a decisive kill, giving Presbyterian a thrilling 30-28 victory.
 
NOTABLES
- Berth in the 2024 Big South Tournament marks the first time that the Blue Hose have been in back-to-back Big South post season competition since 2014.
- Miller finished with 12 kills and 10 digs.
- Baranski added 29 assists, 12 digs, and a pair of service aces.
- Yurkovich recorded 12 kills and 6 digs.
- Williams totaled 15 kills.
 


UP NEXT
With tonight's victory, the Blue Hose have secured their spot in the Big South Conference Tournament. More to come soon...