SALISBURY, N.C. – The Catawba women's volleyball team triumphed over Lincoln Memorial 3-1 on Senior Day to clinch a spot in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Championship Tournament.
Freshman outside hitter Maggie Ayers delivered a dominant performance, smashing 21 kills on a remarkable .621 hitting percentage, both career highs. Fellow freshman Alani Kincaid also stepped up, providing 13 kills at a .250 rate. Sydney McCutcheon and Camden Bizot set the table for the efficient attack, recording 22 and 21 assists, respectively.
Seniors Riley Hill and Lauren Patrick played great final matches at Goodman Arena. Hill notched 20 digs and Patrick landed seven kills on a .417 hitting percentage.
Catawba (14-12, 10-12 SAC) claimed a victorious season and snapped Lincoln Memorial's (15-11, 13-9) six-match winning streak by scoring 60 kills on a .266 hitting percentage, while serving five aces and tallying 57 digs.
Maggie Ayers converted six kills on nine attacks and Hill posted seven digs, but Catawba trailed the Railsplitters 24-22 late in the first set. Ayers ignited a blue and white comeback when she fired a kill, followed by one from her twin sister, Rebekah Ayers, and another from Lillie Kate Rogers. The ensuing LMU attack would land out of bounds as Catawba finished the frame on a 4-0 run to steal the first set, 26-24.
The hosts continued the quality attack early in the second, but Lincoln Memorial matched the score at eight all. Patrick then sparked another Catawba rally with a kill and a block assist, while Maggie Ayers hammered five more kills in a 13-4 run. Kincaid put the final touches on a 25-15 second-set victory as the blue and white attacked at a .500 rate to lead the match 2-0.
The Railsplitters wouldn't go down without a fight, claiming a 4-0 third-set advantage. The Catawba Indians answered with a 5-0 run of their own behind two more Kincaid kills, but Lincoln Memorial pulled away to take the stanza 25-16.
An ace from Ali Rose and a block from Maddie Henning and Kincaid put the blue and white up 5-2 in the fourth. LMU chipped away and evened the score at 10. Ayers converted three more kills, and Patrick provided another to put Catawba back in front, 15-12. The red-hot Railsplitters continued to make it interesting when they tied the set at 20 all. The SAC foes traded scoring until it was 24-24. Patrick stepped up again, giving Catawba match point with a kill before Rebekah Ayers sealed one of the most memorable days in recent program history with the final point.
The victory earned Catawba the final spot in the SAC Championship Tournament, where they'll face top-seeded Anderson in the opening match at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 10th, at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, located in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Before Saturday's match, Catawba Women's Volleyball celebrated the careers of seniors Sofia Beard, Jordan Duzenack, Katrina Misra, Lauren Patrick and Riley Hill as part of Senior Day.
Hear from Head Coach Brenn Ferguson and seniors Riley Hill and Lauren Patrick after the win:
