CLINTON, S.C. – After a nail-biting five sets, the Presbyterian College Blue Hose volleyball team (2-5) took down the Temple Owls (3-4), 3-2 (27-25, 13-25, 29-27, 22-25, 17-15).
 
COACH BENSON'S THOUGHTS
"It was an exciting win. We had a tough weekend with some close losses, so that first set was really important to build our confidence. We just had to make some adjustments and a few tweaks that helped us manage what we needed to do."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST SET
The opening set was evenly matched as both Presbyterian and Temple traded points, bringing the score to 4-4. However, the Owls then pulled ahead with a four-point run, claiming an 8-4 lead. A Temple attack error briefly stopped their momentum, but they quickly recovered, pushing the score to 9-5. The Blue Hose responded with two consecutive points, fueled by a kill from Elyse Hutchinson and another attack error by Temple. The teams continued to exchange points, leaving the score at 10-8 in favor of the Owls.
 
Temple strung together three unanswered points before Anna Baranski's well-timed kill interrupted their run. A subsequent Temple attack error brought Presbyterian to nine points, and momentum started shifting. Courtney Williams slammed a kill, followed by a pinpoint service ace from Hannah Rowe, narrowing the gap to 14-12. Temple responded with two more points, extending their lead to 16-12, but Williams kept Presbyterian close with another powerful kill.
 
As the teams traded blows, Julia Yurkovich delivered two crucial kills, keeping the Blue Hose within reach at 20-16. A pivotal moment came when Amaris Alvarez made a smart decision, letting a Temple attack sail out of bounds, injecting life back into the Presbyterian squad. Rowe followed up with a kill, and Courtney Aulbaugh's service ace brought the Blue Hose within one point at 20-19.
 
Temple managed another kill, but Brittney Daphnis immediately countered with one of her own. As the tension rose, Rowe delivered a key kill to pull Presbyterian within one at 22-21. With the set hanging in the balance, Temple scored again, but Williams responded with a kill, and Celimar Hoyos delivered a clutch service ace to level the score at 23-23.
 
In one of the longest rallies of the Blue Hose's 2024 season, Rowe made a series of spectacular digs, ending with a joint block by Yurkovich and Hutchinson. Hutchinson then hammered down a kill, only for the Owls to answer, tying the set at 25-25. With the pressure mounting, Yurkovich stepped up with a powerful kill, and her decisive service ace sealed the set for Presbyterian, 27-25.
 
SECOND SET
Rowe's kill set the tone early in the second set, as her and Williams' back-to-back kills, combined with Rowe's service ace, propelled Presbyterian to a quick 3-0 lead. Temple responded by leveling the score at 3-3, but Williams reclaimed the advantage with another decisive kill for the Blue Hose. The teams traded points, highlighted by a solo block from Williams and a Yurkovich kill, before a Temple service ace tied things up at 6-6.
 
Yurkovich struck again, powering the Blue Hose ahead 7-6. However, the momentum shifted as Temple claimed the next six points, capitalizing on some strong defensive plays to take a 12-7 lead despite Presbyterian's efforts. Following a brief break in play, both teams resumed the back-and-forth battle, with Williams delivering a scorching kill to narrow the gap to 15-10 in favor of the Owls.
 
Unfortunately for the Blue Hose, Temple surged ahead with six consecutive points, extending their lead to 21-10. Daphnis managed to break the Owls' streak with a kill, but the teams then traded service errors, pushing the score to 22-12. Presbyterian picked up one more point before Temple sealed the second set with a commanding 25-13 win.
 
THIRD SET
Despite some valiant efforts by the Blue Hose during an extended rally, Temple opened the third set with a 2-0 lead. Presbyterian responded with a four-point run, featuring a Yurkovich kill and back-to-back service aces from Rowe. The teams traded points, with Williams and Daphnis delivering powerful attacks, followed by another Williams kill, bringing the score to 6-4 in favor of PC.
 
Temple rallied to tie the set at six, but a Yurkovich kill put Presbyterian back on top. After two quick points by the Owls, a Temple service error tied the set at 8-8. A service ace from Hutchinson and a Rowe kill pushed the Blue Hose to a 10-8 lead. The teams continued to exchange points, making it 11-9, before Temple battled back to tie the score at 12-12.
 
Both sides traded kills, Williams and Yurkovich kept pace, eventually tying the set at 14. Temple briefly edged ahead at 15-14, but Hutchinson's kill leveled it once again. The tug-of-war continued, with the score locked at 17-17, until Baranski's solo block gave Presbyterian a crucial lead. Baranski then added a kill, nudging the Blue Hose ahead 19-18.
 
This sparked a rally for PC, as they captured four of the next five points to extend their lead to 22-19. However, Temple fought back with three consecutive points to tie the set at 22. A service error gifted Presbyterian a 23-22 lead, but two Owl kills set Temple up with set point at 24-23. An attack error from Temple tied the score again at 24-24, but the Owls reclaimed the advantage with a kill.
 
The Blue Hose refused to back down. Hutchinson hammered a kill, and Aulbaugh followed with a timely service ace, putting Presbyterian in front 26-25. The Owls clawed their way back to retake the lead at 27-26. Yet another service error tied the set at 27, and Rowe's kill gave PC a slim 28-27 edge. A final attack error by Temple handed the Blue Hose a thrilling 29-27 victory in the set.
 
FOURTH SET
The Owls opened the fourth set strong, taking three of the first four points. However, Williams answered with two quick kills, closing the gap to 4-3. A service error gave the next point to Temple, but Hutchinson swiftly responded with a kill. The Owls then went on a six-point run, forcing Presbyterian to call a timeout.
 
Coming out of the break, Rowe slammed down a hard kill to make it 10-5. Though Temple tacked on two more points, an attack error by the Owls gave PC a much-needed break. Temple scored again, but the Blue Hose rallied with a three-point burst, including a Daphnis kill and a service ace from Rowe, narrowing the score to 13-9.
 
Temple extended their lead with two more points, but Presbyterian fought back, claiming three straight points with help from Yurkovich's assist, kill, and block. At 16-12, the Owls grabbed another point, but Hutchinson's kill and two perfectly-placed service aces from Alvarez leveled the score at 16-16.
 
Temple responded with a three-point streak of their own, pulling ahead 19-16. Temple hit the 20-point mark first, but PC wasn't finished yet. Yurkovich, Hutchinson, and Rowe each contributed kills, cutting the deficit to just 20-19. An Owl attack error brought the score to 20-20, prompting a timeout from Temple.
 
The teams exchanged points, tying the set at 21-21. However, two quick kills by Temple gave them a 23-21 lead. Despite a kill from Rowe, the Owls reached set point at 24-22. A final Temple kill closed out the set 25-22, sending the match to a decisive fifth set.
 
FIFTH SET
The fifth set began evenly, with both teams racing to two points, led by a pair of kills from Rowe. A Yurkovich kill and a Hoyos service ace pushed the Blue Hose ahead 4-2. Temple grabbed a point, but Yurkovich responded with another well-placed kill to maintain PC's two-point lead. The Owls answered with two consecutive kills to tie the score at 5-5.
 
A service error gave PC a brief edge, but another Temple kill leveled the score again. The Owls were the first to reach eight points, and the teams switched sides with Presbyterian trailing 8-6. Coming out of the break, Hutchinson delivered a powerful kill, but a service error extended Temple's lead to 9-7. Another Owl kill made it 10-7, prompting a timeout from PC.
 
Out of the timeout, the Blue Hose showed resilience as Daphnis and Baranski teamed up for a crucial block. Rowe followed up with a kill, but Temple answered with a block of their own to lead 12-9. Williams fired back with a solo block, and Hoyos added a service ace, cutting the deficit to 12-11. However, a service error pushed Temple's lead to 13-11.
 
Yurkovich kept Presbyterian in the game with a soft-touch kill, bringing the score to 13-12. Temple then reached match point with a kill to make it 14-12. A service error by the Owls kept PC alive, but Temple still held match point at 14-13. Aulbaugh stepped up with her third service ace of the day, tying the score at 14-14.
 
Rowe followed with a clutch kill, giving Presbyterian a 15-14 advantage. The Owls tied it again at 15, but Hutchinson hammered down a kill to reclaim match point for PC. In the final play, Rowe sealed the victory with a decisive kill, giving the Blue Hose a thrilling 17-15 win and the match.
 
NOTABLES
- Rowe tallied her third double-double of the season with 12 kills and 14 digs.
- Baranski recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 43 assists and 11 digs.
- Four Blue Hose players tallied double-digit kills.
- Of the team's seven games so far this season, five of them have gone to the deciding set.
 
UP NEXT
The Blue Hose will compete in the Mercer Invitational on September 13-14 in Macon, Ga. bringing with a double-header on Friday against Southern Miss and Elon.