Eagles Edge UNC Asheville 3-2 Behind Thatcher’s Season-High 53 Assists

ROCK HILL, S.C. — The Winthrop University volleyball team defeated UNC Asheville, 3-2, Friday at Winthrop Coliseum and 15-9. Paige Bennett had a team-high 17 kills and 12 digs for her tenth double-double, Laila Glover added a season-high 16 kills and two blocks, including one solo, while Lexi Thatcher recorded a season-high 53 assists with 12 digs.

Alyah Cadavid recorded a season-high 13 digs. Addison Torain reached the 500-dig milestone, totaling 512 digs with 17 digs in the match. Lindsay Langner recorded a season-high four service aces and 11 digs.

TOP PERFORMERS

Kills – Bennett, 17), Glover (16), Giselle Little (10)
Aces – Langner (4), Thatcher (1), KeAra Bowen (1)
Blocks – Glover (2), Little (1), Bowen (1)
Assists – Thatcher (53), Langner (6), Torain (3)
Digs – Torain (17), Cadavid (13), Bennett (12)

SET 1

• After a 3-3 tie, UNC Asheville scored five straight points and later moved ahead 11-5.
• The Eagles answered with 11 straight points, tying the set at 11-11 on a KeAra Bowen block before kills by Bennett, Bowen and Thatcher made it 16-11.
• UNC Asheville stopped the run, but Winthrop kept the lead and finished the set with back-to-back Bennett kills for a 25-18 win.

SET 2

• The Eagles built an early 4-1 lead as Giselle Little recorded three kills around a Bowen service ace.
• Glover, Bennett and Thatcher added consecutive kills to stretch the advantage to 10-4 before UNC Asheville trimmed it to 10-6.
• After the teams traded points through 17-13, the Eagles scored four straight behind a Thatcher kill, two UNC Asheville errors and a Bennett kill to move ahead 21-13.
• UNC Asheville got back within 22-16, but the Eagles took the final three points and closed the set on Thatcher’s service ace for a 25-16 win.

SET 3

• The Eagles moved ahead 4-2 behind kills from Thatcher and Bennett, but UNC Asheville tied the set at 4-4 and later went in front 7-5 on consecutive Winthrop attack errors.
• Bowen and Little kept the Eagles within 9-8 before UNC Asheville scored four straight points to extend the lead to 13-8.
• The Eagles got back within 14-11 on two UNC Asheville errors and continued trading points through a 19-14 deficit, with Glover, Bowen and Little each recording kills during that stretch.
• Kills from Glover and Bennett brought the Eagles to 22-18, but UNC Asheville reached set point at 24-18 and closed the set 25-19.

SET 4

• The Eagles opened with kills from Reece Rhoads and Little on the way to a 3-0 lead, but UNC Asheville answered with seven straight points to go ahead 7-3.
• After a service error gave Winthrop a point, UNC Asheville scored four straight to extend the margin to 11-4, then kept control as Glover, Bennett and Trabrece Marbley added points for the Eagles.
• UNC Asheville won seven of the final eight points, reaching 24-9 during a service run before closing the set 25-10.

SET 5

• The Eagles scored the first two points on kills by Glover and Bennett, then stayed in front as Bowen and Rhoads added early kills.
• Rhoads and Little helped push the lead to 8-4, and kills from Bennett and Glover moved the Eagles ahead 10-5.
• UNC Asheville used a service error and a block to pull within 10-7, but Glover answered with a kill before Langner served two aces around a Bennett kill for a 14-7 lead.
• Bulldogs took the next two points, but Bennett finished the set with a kill from Thatcher as the Eagles won 15-9.

NEXT UP

The Eagles host USC Upstate on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 4 p.m. at Winthrop Coliseum in Rock Hill, S.C.

Story courtesy of Winthrop Athletics.