BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — The Winthrop University volleyball team defeated Gardner-Webb 3-1 on Saturday in their Big South Conference opener. Paige Bennett powered through with a team-high 22 kills on .317 hitting, tying her career-high for the third time this season, while Lexi Thatcher delivered a team-high 47 assists and Addison Torain dug deep with a season-high 24 digs.
Top Performers
Kills – Bennett (22), KeAra Bowen (12), Reece Rhoads (9)
Aces – Torain (3), Teagan Sychterz (3), Lindsay Langner (2)
Blocks – Sychterz (7), Thatcher (4), Bennett (2)
Assists – Thatcher (47), Torain (3), Langner (3)
Digs – Torain (24), Bennett (10), Langner (8)
Set 1
The Eagles moved in front 3-0 to open the first set, with Bowen putting down a Thatcher set before Sychterz served back-to-back aces.
After GWU got within 6-3, Giselle Little’s kill returned serve to the Eagles and Torain served the next six points, including three aces, as the Eagles built a 13-3 lead.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs later scored three straight to pull to 20-12 and added another three-point run after the Eagles reached 23-13, but Reece Rhoads put the Eagles on set point at 24-16.
After a service error, Bowen closed the set with a kill from Thatcher for a 25-17 Eagles win.
Set 2
The Eagles erased an early 4-2 deficit with kills by Thatcher and Little, followed by a Bennett service ace for a 5-4 lead.
GWU moved back in front at 7-5 on a Samia Sayd kill and an Isabel Sandstrum ace, and after Rhoads’ kill kept the Eagles within 9-8, the Runnin’ Bulldogs scored four straight to build a 13-8 lead.
Little’s kill made it 16-11, but GWU answered with seven consecutive points, including two Sandstrum aces, before Milla Lugo and Caroline Franklin supplied the final two kills in a 25-12 set win.
Set 3
After GWU evened the third set at 2-2, the Eagles moved in front with a Little kill and consecutive Bennett kills from Thatcher for a 5-2 lead.
The Eagles expanded the gap with blocks involving Little, Thatcher and Sychterz, a Rhoads kill and back-to-back Bowen kills to reach 15-6 before the Runnin’ Bulldogs scored four straight, including a Sarina Galyean kill, to make it 15-10.
GWU later pulled within 19-15, but the Eagles came back with a Little-Thatcher block for 20-15 and, after a Runnin’ Bulldogs point, used a Rhoads kill and two more Bowen kills to go up 23-16 before closing the set 25-18 on Bennett’s kill from Thatcher.
Set 4
After an even start, GWU moved ahead 10-7 on kills by Samia Sayd and Kiera Vazquez, but the Eagles got a Thatcher kill, a Sychterz/Bowen block and a Rhoads kill to help pull even at 11-11.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs scored four of the next five points to go up 15-12 before the Eagles answered with a Little kill, a GWU attack error and back-to-back Bennett kills for a 16-15 lead.
After ties at 16-16 and 17-17, the Eagles scored five of the next six points, including two Rhoads kills and blocks involving Sychterz, to move ahead 22-18.
GWU cut the margin to 24-23, but Bennett finished a Thatcher assist to close the set 25-23.
NEXT UP
The Eagles return home to host Charleston Southern on Friday at 6 p.m. at Winthrop Coliseum in Rock Hill, S.C. for the conference home opener.
Story courtesy of Winthrop Athletics.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
