Box Score BRISTOL, Tenn. – In a matchup that is always very intense, the match that pitted the King University women's volleyball team against Lees-McRae College and a little more energy on Tuesday night in the Student Center Complex. In front of a nearly packed Student Center, the Bobcats held off a late Tornado rally to take the slugfest in five sets, topping the Tornado 15-13 in the final set.
The teams traded runs throughout the first set, with King opening up a 15-11 lead, and forcing a Bobcat timeout. Out of the break, Lees-McRae (11-7, 6-3 CC) scored four of the next five points to even the set at 16 and force a King timeout. However, the Tornado (11-9, 5-4 CC) answered with a 4-1 run of their own behind kills from Summer Kremer, Jordan Baty and Sarah Collins as Lees-McRae took a timeout. King stretched their lead to 23-19 before Collins and Kremer registered consecutive kills to give King the set 25-19.
King looked to gain control early in the second set as they opened up a 9-4 lead behind kills from Grace Underwood, Kremer and Baty. However, the Bobcats came back once again, finally evening the set at 16. After Kremer gave King a lead with a kill, Lees-McRae scored three straight points to gain the lead. King fought back to get within 24-23, but Avalon Liscio registered a kill to give the Bobcats the win to even the match.
The Bobcats carried that momentum into the third set, opening up a commanding 10-4 lead. King came back to get within 10-8 following a Grace Underwood ace, and consecutive Lauren Willoughby kills, but the Bobcats responded with a 5-2 run to extend their advantage. From there, King never got closer than three points as Lees-McRae took the set 25-17.
Lees-McRae forced a King timeout early in the fourth set as they scored the first four points of the frame. The Bobcats again held an 8-2 advantage until Grace Underwood ignited the Tornado offense with one of her seven kills in the match. The Tornado gradually worked their way back, and Casey Williams evened the score at 12-all with a service ace. King later held a slim 17-16 lead before Grace Underwood and Kremer posted three straight kills to force Bobcat timeout with King leading 20-16. With a chance a set point, Baty and Collins teamed up for a block to send the match to a fifth set with the 25-18 win.
King jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the decisive set behind an Olivia Underwood kill and another Williams ace. The teams then began to trade points with King still holding a two point advantage at 10-8. However, the Bobcats rolled off four straight points to take a 12-10 lead before Collins ended the spurt with a kill. Trailing 14-11, King staved off a two match points, but couldn't hold one more time as Lees-McRae took the set 15-13, and the match 3-2.
King posted 56 kills in the match to Lees-McRae's 45, but the Bobcats played solid defense, accounting for 77 digs to King's 68. The Tornado also struggled at the service line with 16 service errors in the match.
Kremer led the King offense, posting her 11th double-double of the season with 17 kills and 15 digs. Collins added a career-high 12 kills while hitting .346 in the match, and Baty chipped in with nine kills. Payton Tipton led King with 18 digs while Olivia Underwood dished out 46 assists.
King will be in action on Friday when they host Barton College in the Student Center Complex. The Bulldogs are ahead of the Tornado in the Conference Carolinas standings with a league record of 5-3. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
