Box Score BRISTOL, Tenn. – How teams respond to adversity shows a lot about their character, and the King University women's volleyball team showed their character once again on Tuesday night in the Student Center Complex. The Tornado trailed Lees-McRae College numerous times, but the King fought back and forced a fifth set, which King took 15-13 to take the match 15-13 and stay unbeaten in Conference Carolinas play.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 3, Lees-McRae 2 (23-25, 25-22, 25-27, 25-21, 15-13)
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 5-6, 5-0 Conference Carolinas; Lees-McRae 5-8, 2-2 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first set was tight, as was the whole match, the Bobcats came away with a 25-23 win to grab the early lead.
- Lees-McRae held the lead throughout the set, and had to fight off a late rally from the Tornado who staved off four straight set points. Cathy Scaniffe had a kill and a pair of aces on the run, but it wasn't enough as the Bobcats took the set.
- King bounced back in the second set as they scored five straight points to take a 10-5 lead.
- However, the Bobcats answered with a 10-4 run to take a 15-14 lead.
- The Tornado answered with kills from Jenna Sturgeon and Scaniffe before an ace from Amy Serowski put King ahead a 17-15.
- Trailing 22-20, Becca Huddleston ignited a 5-0 Tornado run with a kill.
- She added another kill before Sturgeon gave King a chance at set point, setting up a Haley Roe ace, giving King the set 25-22.
- King again jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the third set following a Huddleston kill.
- Beckner later gave King a 16-9 lead with one of her three kills of the, but the Bobcats then started run.
- Lees-McRae scored eight of the next nine points to take an 18-17 advantage as the teams went back-and-forth.
- King scored four straight points, opening up a 22-19 lead, but the Bobcats answered with three straight points, evening the tally.
- The Tornado later had a chance at set point, but the Bobcats held it off and followed with two more points to take the set 27-25.
- The fourth set was tight until the end when back-to-back blocks, one solo stuff from Sturgeon and another from Sturgeon and Huddleston gave King a 19-18 lead.
- With the score even at 19-19, Huddleston started a 4-0 King run. Following a pair of Bobcat points, kills from Sturgeon and Scaniffe gave King the set 25-21, forcing a decisive fifth set.
- King started fast, jumping out to a 7-2 lead and forcing Lees-McRae to burn both of their timeouts in the fifth set.
- Sturgeon and Scaniffe capped the early run with three straight kills, the final two from Scanife.
- However, the Bobcats came back and got within 10-8 following a 5-2 run.
- Lees-McRae came all the way back and evened the score at 13-13, forcing a King timeout.
- Out of the break, a pair of Bobcat miscues gave King the set 15-13 and the match 3-2.
- Scaniffe led King with 18 kills to go along with six digs.
- Huddleston and Roe both posted double-doubles, Huddleston posted 13 kills and 21 digs while Roe accounted for 47 assists and 12 digs.
- Sturgeon posted 12 kills and seven blocks, and Beckner chipped in with 11 kills and three blocks.
- Serowski also reached double figures in digs with 14.
FOR THE FOES
- Ellissa Small led the way for Lees-McRae with 15 kills and 14 digs for the double-doubles.
- Logan Slusher followed with 12. Madigan Gonzales also reached double figures with 11 kills.
- Courtney Weathersbee and Darian Parson handed out 25 assists. Parsons recorded 16 digs for the double-double.
- Madison Martin posted a team-high 21 digs and Johnaliz Cotte also reached double figures with 12 digs.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The 12 kills for Sturgeon marks a career-high and her first time reaching double figures
- Huddleston posted a career-high as well with the 21 digs.
- King posted 10.0 blocks in the contest, marking their second match in double figures this season.
- With the win, King remains the last unbeaten team in Conference Carolinas play. The last time King won their first five Conference Carolinas matches, they started the 2013 season 9-0 in league play.
UP NEXT
- King returns to the court in the Student Center Complex on Friday night when they take on Southern Wesleyan University at 7:00 p.m. in another Conference Carolinas tilt.
- Lees-McRae returns to action on Thursday when they face Southern Wesleyan.
