CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College volleyball team (9-18, 3-10 Big South) came through in a five-set battle over UNC Asheville on Senior Day (Nov. 7), claiming a nail-biting 25-22, 16-25, 25-22, 17-25, 15-11 victory at the Templeton Center.
The match was even at two sets apiece and tied in the fifth at 10 before Presbyterian emerged victorious, winning five of the final six points to clinch the victory.
Presbyterian was outstanding all afternoon at the net, finishing with a program DI era single-match record 18 blocks. Meredith Reisman was terrific, posting 10 (including four solo).
Courtney Williams was dominant as well, finishing with six blocks. Brittney Daphnis added five, while Julia Yurkovich tallied three.
Offensively, Williams was productive all afternoon, coming away with a season-high 18 kills while hitting .289. Anisa Dorlouis wrapped up the day with yet another double-double, recording 36 assists and 21 digs.
Celimar Hoyos finished one dig short of a double-double, registering 10 assists and nine digs.
Before the match, Presbyterian honored eight seniors: Courtney Williams, Amaris Alvarez, Anisa Dorlouis, Julia Yurkovich, Meredith Reisman, Brittney Daphnis, Celimar Hoyos, and Ashley Miller.
FROM HEAD COACH MADDIE MOSS
"I could not be more proud of how we showed up tonight. We were able to come together and show up on Senior Day in a way that was remarkable. We have a group of seniors who have worked so hard and to see them achieve success is incredibly rewarding."
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE – PC 25, UNC ASHEVILLE 22
- The Bulldogs had the slight edge early to begin the match, taking a 12-9 lead over the Blue Hose. PC trailed by as many as four down 16-12 before the Blue Hose began to fight back.
- Kills by Brittney Daphnis, Anisa Dorlouis, and Julia Yurkovich helped Presbyterian cut the deficit to just one down 17-16. UNC Asheville went back up two before the Blue Hose flipped the script down the stretch.
- Presbyterian closed out the set on a 9-4 run to flip the momentum, taking the first set 25-22. Two huge blocks by Meredith Reisman helped PC finish the frame.
SET TWO – UNC ASHEVILLE 25, PC 16
- Presbyterian continued to have the hot hand to open the second, winning three of the first four points. However, UNC Asheville chipped away at the lead and managed to go ahead 11-10.
- The Bulldogs separated from the Blue Hose in the middle of the frame, claiming six straight points to take an 18-11 lead.
- Kills by Courtney Williams and Ashley Miller ended the run, but the Bulldogs grabbed the second set 25-16 to even the match.
SET THREE – PC 25, UNC ASHEVILLE 22
- Neither team could gain an advantage early in set three, as both teams traded the lead from one another.
- The largest lead from either team was two until late in the set. With the frame tied at 19, PC finally established control, winning four straight points.
- UNC Asheville was able to close the gap to two down 23-21, but a kill by Daphnis wrapped up the set in PC's favor. In total, the set featured 15 ties and nine lead changes.
SET FOUR – UNC ASHEVILLE 25, PC 17
- Presbyterian jumped out to the lead in set four, going up 6-2 after kills by Miller, Daphnis, and Williams. Another kill by Miller kept the Blue Hose in front before the Bulldogs responded to change the momentum.
- The Bulldogs claimed six straight points to grab a 14-10 advantage. Presbyterian was able to cut the deficit to two a couple of times but could not get closer.
- UNC Asheville won five of the final six points of the frame to take the set 25-17, forcing a fifth set in Clinton.
SET FIVE – PC 15, UNC ASHEVILLE 11
- Presbyterian started fast in the deciding set, taking the first three points. The Blue Hose kept a three-point advantage before UNC Asheville tied the frame at 10 apiece.
- Emma McHatten came up clutch for PC in the final stretch of the match, helping the Blue Hose win five of the last six points of the match. An attack error by UNC Asheville clinched the match for Presbyterian, giving PC a 3-2 victory on Senior Day.
NOTABLES
- Presbyterian set a new program record in blocks, recording 18. PC's 18 blocks against the Bulldogs is the most in the team's DI era, besting the previous high of 17 against Winthrop on Nov. 15, 2012.
- Meredith Reisman tied the program's DI era single-match record for blocks, tallying 10. This is the second time this season that Reisman has recorded 10 blocks in a match. She also had 10 at USC Upstate on Oct. 10.
- Courtney Williams matched her season-high in kills, finishing with 18. She also tied her season-high in blocks with six.
- Anisa Dorlouis came away with her 18th double-double of the year, logging 36 assists and 21 digs. This is the second straight match she has finished with over 20 digs.
- Julia Yurkovich recorded a season-high 13 digs.
- This is PC's third five-set match of the season.
- Ashley Miller and Dorlouis posted seven kills apiece.
UP NEXT
Presbyterian closes out the regular season next Friday (Nov. 23), facing Charleston Southern on the road at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
