SALISBURY, N.C. – The Catawba College women's volleyball team held a 2-1 lead going into the fourth set, but was ultimately upended as Newberry roared back to take a 3-2 South Atlantic Conference victory on Tuesday night.
TEAM STATS
- Hitting errors plagued Catawba (4-20, 2-15) who hit .382 in the third set but finished at .068, while the Wolves (8-13, 5-11 SAC) batted .162
- The largest disparity lied in blocking as Newberry made 14 blocks compared to the hosts' eight
- The squads' service totals were identical at six aces and five errors while each team committed six gaffes on reception
- Catawba dominated the attack-based values of kills (58-42) and digs (73-57)
- Each set was mostly one-sided as the first, third, and fifth stanzas had no ties or lead changes after the opening rally
INDIVIDUAL STATS
- Sofia Beard blasted 17 kills on 55 swings for a .109 hitting percentage
- Lauren Bodell was slightly more efficient, hitting .179 with 11 kills as well as eight digs and four block assists
- Setting-wise, Haley Moffett dished out a game-high 42 assists in addition to four kills and seven digs
- Riley Hill paced Catawba in both service aces (4) and digs (22), chipping in two assists
- Absorbing 15 digs was Kary Hales as the hometown product was errorless in 13 receptions, the only receiver with a clean sheet
- Seeing the court in the last three sets, Lauren Patrick provided a much-needed spark with six kills on eight attacks (.625) and two blocks including one solo
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- The blue and white began proceedings with nine consecutive points featuring two Beard kills and a trio of Hill aces
- Catawba mistakes and two Anna Schneider darts let Newberry back into the set at 9-7
- Blocking heated up on both sides, the Wolves' denials helping to cut the deficit to one
- However, miscues kept the Wolves at bay as Moffett dumped in the deciding point for a 25-20 triumph
Second Set
- Newberry opened the second frame with a narrow advantage that Catawba quickly erased, setting up a neck-and-neck set up to 9-9
- The visitors found a seam and began to rip, going on a 10-3 run as the Catawba Indians burned both timeouts
- Beard and Sydney Wattles landed kills to slice the deficit to 20-14, but Gabby Warren and Carole Ann Hussey teamed up for two blocks in the Wolves' five-point wave to end the set
Third Set
- The hosts started with a 4-0 lead that Newberry came close to eliminating, but three side-out kills by Wattles helped Catawba refuse giving it up
- Bullseyes from Kelcie Love, Bodell, Patrick, and Beard keyed a four-point run for Catawba as the Wolves faced a 13-7 gap
- Continued dominance exerted by Bodell and multiple Newberry errors forced a timeout after the 18-10 rally
- Catawba powered out with a Hill ace getting bookended by Beard kills to secure a forceful 25-15 victory
Fourth Set
- The Catawba Indians kicked off the set in positive fashion again, taking a 4-1 lead with two points supplied by Beard
- An offensive flurry including an ace from Annie Dill and a Samantha Shaffer kill allowed Newberry to overtake Catawba, 9-7
- The Wolves won 13 of the following 18 rallies, the last two claimed by Newberry via Emma Christensen block
- Three kills from Love and two by Patrick bolstered a late effort from Catawba, but the Wolves' lead proved to be too large as they took the 25-19 decision
Fifth Set
- Mistakes from Catawba in addition to a Shaffer dart and Christensen-Watson block gave Newberry a 7-1 advantage out of the gate
- Bodell struck twice to combat the charging Wolves as Beard and Natalie Rehm contributed kills in the resistance, cutting the score to 10-7
- Newberry finished the set on a five-point tear with Kate Brown delivering the final blow in a 15-7 set, securing a 3-2 match win for the Wolves
UP NEXT
The program honors its graduating class with Senior Night on Friday, Nov. 15 when the Catawba Indians host UVA Wise for a 7 p.m. first serve.
