SALISBURY, N.C. – The Catawba women's volleyball team was edged out by South Atlantic Conference foe Mars Hill 3-2 at Goodman Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Alani Kincaid led the attack with a career-high 13 kills and three blocks.
Sofia Beard provided efficient offense, adding 10 kills on a .333 hitting percentage and two blocks.
Lillie Kate Rogers posted 10 kills, 11 digs, three blocks and two aces.
Sydney McCutcheon continued her strong week with 25 assists, 10 digs and a kill.
Camden Bizot generated 18 assists, 10 digs and three aces.
Riley Hill recorded her second 30-dig performance of the season.
Maddie Henning blocked five attacks and deposited an ace while
Madi McIlwain blocked four.
Catawba (12-7, 8-7 SAC) continued its quality play in the serve-receive category, notching seven aces while allowing just three. Mars Hill (12-11, 6-8 SAC) was more productive attacking, tallying 60 kills on a .226 team hitting percentage, holding Catawba to 54 on a .096 percentage. Blocks were even at 12 apiece.
The blue and white came out of the gates hot after Rogers landed three kills and an ace to build an 8-3 first-set advantage.
Rebekah Ayers and
Maggie Ayers continued to pile on with kills before the Lions made a late push to get back within striking distance. Henning, however, would close the door on a 25-20 first-set victory for the hosts as they hit 0.273 as a team in the frame.
Four Kincaid kills and a Bizot ace would put Catawba ahead 7-5 in the second. Mars Hill would quickly take advantage of the blue and white's attack errors to take a 19-9 lead. Rogers would block two attacks and serve an ace to bring the hosts back, but it was not enough as the Lions grabbed a 25-16 second-set victory and even the match.
Both teams traded punches offensively in third, attacking at extremely high rates as the visitors took a narrow 19-18 advantage. Catawba continued its impressive execution in close sets in recent weeks after five different Catawba Indians landed kills, including another set-sealer from Henning as the blue and white won the third set 25-20 behind a total of 17 kills on an outstanding .378 percentage in the period.
With their backs against the wall, the Lions attacked at a .417 rate in the fourth. Bizot registered two aces, but Mars Hill would take the set 25-15 and send the match to a deciding fifth frame.
The visitors gained a 4-1 lead in the final set, but after two Lions errors, Beard evened the score at four all. Mars Hill tacked on three blocks and recaptured a 12-7 advantage.
Kendall Jones stepped up and brought Catawba back within one by uncorking two kills and a block, but the Lions would hang on to win 15-12 in the fifth set as Mars Hill earned the road victory.
Catawba heads into the final three weeks of the regular season as winners of three of its last four, 12-7 on the year and 8-7 in a competitive South Atlantic Conference playoff race.
The Catawba Indians will be back in action at Goodman Arena on Tuesday, October 20th, at 6 p.m. when they host SAC rival Lenoir-Rhyne.
