SALISBURY, N.C. — The Catawba College women's volleyball team got even with Tusculum on Saturday at Goodman Arena, delivering a dominant 3-0 rout to claim its fourth South Atlantic Conference triumph. Catawba, in sweeping fashion, avenged its loss via shutout against the Pioneers in Greeneville just eight days prior.

TEAM STATS
- Catawba (7-8, 4-6 SAC) notched a .316 hitting percentage, its best since the 2022 season opener, with just nine errors while keeping Tusculum (7-10, 5-6 SAC) grounded at .176
- The blue and white landed six aces while recording only four errant serves, better marks than the Pioneers' four aces and nine miscues
- The Catawba Indians generated 55 points for the second consecutive match, tying their three-set high for a third time
- Catawba and Tusculum were equal in blocking with three stops apiece

INDIVIDUAL STATS
- Sofia Beard had an efficient .417 day on the outside with a team-high 12 kills
- Lillie Kate Rogers continued a weekend to remember with 11 kills, eight digs, a career-high four aces, and two blocks
- Jordan Duzenack poured in seven kills, Annica Kagle logged six, Martina Foster chipped in five and Sydney Wattles pounded four
- Haley Moffett flirted with a double-double, gathering 19 assists and nine digs, while setting partner Tamie Boudot dished out 17 helpers with four digs
- Riley Hill tacked on 27 digs (one shy of her season high, which was set in a five-set match) with a season-best six assists
- Rogers and Wattles led the blocking game with a pair of stuffs each as the former registered a solo denial

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- Through the first 10 rallies, Catawba led 7-3 capped by a Boudot ace ahead of the Luxembourgish freshman setting up Foster for a smash
- Tusculum closed the gap at 10-10, losing momentum once again before coming back to make it 14-all
- Catawba then took off with an 8-2 run polished off by back-to-back Wattles mashes from the middle
- The Pioneers failed to keep the hosts from getting to the finish line first in a 25-21 triumph for Catawba

Second Set
- TU kept the score close early but lost grip when Catawba rode an 8-1 wave highlighted by three Kagle kills and two Rogers blasts
- A pair of blasts from Beard expanded the gap to eight at 15-7 before Foster and Rogers each added a kill to sustain the margin
- Rogers killed and aced late in the set to pump Catawba up to 22, which was followed by a Beard-Kagle-Beard sequence kill to finalize a decisive 25-15 stanza

Third Set
- The set opened with a four-point streak punctuated by consecutive aces dealt by Rogers
- TU narrowed the deficit but failed to go ahead, instead seeing Catawba grow the margin to 12-6
- The blue and white went back and forth with the Pioneers but kept boosting their lead, reaching the double-digit mark at 22-12
- Kills by Rogers, Duzenack and Moffett finished it off in 25-16 fashion to bring out the brooms

NOTES
- The Catawba Indians' four conference sweeps is the most since 2022, when the blue and white brought out the brooms in six SAC matches
- Catawba got swept, then swept the same opponent for the first time since 2016; that opponent was also Tusculum, in the exact same scenario in which Catawba falls on the road in the first matchup before winning the second meeting at home

UP NEXT
Catawba is back in action at home next Tuesday, Oct. 21, against Newberry for a 6 p.m. first serve.