Westminster Hands Greenville First Loss
This week's SLIAC Game of the Week did not disappoint as Westminster College and Greenville University battling to a five set thriller on the volleyball court with Westminster edging out Greenville for the win. Westminster won 15-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-22, 15-7 to hand Greenville their first loss of the 2017 season.
The two teams have met in the SLIAC Tournament Championship match in each of the last two years and entered the match on Wednesday as two of the three remaining undefeated teams in conference play in the SLIAC.
It took Westminster awhile to get going as they finished with just eight kills while committing nine attack errors in the opening set. Greenville meanwhile came out firing away, hitting .273 in the opening frame with 12 kills. In fact, Greenville scored the first six points of the first set with Allyson Mitchell picking up two kills during the run.
Greenville held an early lead in the second set as well, leading 7-4 after a kill from Anna Finch. But moments later the Blue Jays found the score tied at 9-9 before taking the lead on a kill from Hannah Marshall. With the score tied at 15 Natalie Needy put down an attack for the Blue Jays and they did not look back, drawing the match even at one set apiece. Westminster hit a match high .278 in the set with 16 kills.
Westminster led 11-7 in the third set but this time it was the Panthers turn to mount a comeback. After drawing even at 14-14 the Panthers took control of the set with five straight points, highlighted by three kills from Anna Finch. The Panthers finished the set with a match high .341 attack percentage, including 17 kills.
The Blue Jays controlled much of the fourth set, holding the lead for every point except the first play. Westminster held a lead as large as six points but saw the Panthers close to within two points late. The Blue Jays were able to hold off the Panthers run when Hannah Marshall tallied an ace to push the score to set point, ending on a kill from Needy.
The fifth and decisive set saw the two teams tied at 5-5 when Westminster ran off three straight points on Panther attack errors. The Blue Jays used another run to win the match, scoring the final five points including the match winning point on a double block from Marshall and Needy.
Westminster improves to 3-7 overall and 2-0 in the SLIAC while Greenville falls to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in the SLIAC. Westminster hit .170 as a team with Needy leading the way with 14 kills and five blocks. Teresa Becker led the way with 44 assists. Greenville hit .201 as a team with Finch recording a match high 19 kills.
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