Box score
SPARTANBURG, S.C. --- Whitney Justice (Connelly
Springs, N.C.) and Lauren Fox (Garland, Texas) each recorded at
least 10 kills to lead the Lees-McRae women's volleyball team to a
3-1 win over Converse College to open Conference Carolinas play on
Monday night. Lees-McRae (1-4) defeated the Valkyries (0-3) by
scores of 26-24, 17-25, 25-22, and 25-11 to give head coach Wes
Schneider his first career victory at the NCAA Division II
level.
The Lady Bobcats recorded a season-high 50 kills as four players
notched at least eight kills. Justice tallied match-highs with 11
kills and four service aces to pace the Lady Bobcats, while Fox
chipped 10 kills of her own. Megan Mitchell (Minden, Nev.)
registered a match-high 31 assists for Lees-McRae, while Megan
Epperson (St. John, Ind.) and Taylor Clendenin (Statesville, N.C.)
each tallied 10 digs.
Neither team held more than a three-point lead in the first set
as Lees-McRae squeaked out a 26-24 victory in the opening frame.
Converse responded in the second set, launching an 8-2 run in the
middle of the frame to take an 18-12 lead. Lees-McRae would trim
the margin to 21-17 with a 5-3 spurt before the Valkyries closed
out the set with a 4-0 run to even the match at 1-1.
The Lady Bobcats would sprint out to a 9-4 lead in the third
set, eventually stretching the advantage to 19-10 before Converse
went on a 6-3 spurt to cut the margin to 22-16. The Valkyries would
refuse to concede the frame, trimming the advantage to 24-22 before
Taylor Stice (Franklin, Tenn.) closed out the set with a kill to
give Lees-McRae a 2-1 lead in the match.
Converse stayed within striking distance for much of the fourth
set, climbing back to within two at 12-10 before the Lady Bobcats
responded with a 13-1 run to close out the 25-11 win in the final
frame and clinch their first win of the season.
Lees-McRae returns to the court on Friday when the Lady Bobcats
travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. to take part in the Colorado
Springs Tournament, being hosted by the University of Colorado at
Colorado Springs. The Lady Bobcats will square off against Grand
Canyon University at 9 a.m. on Friday before taking on Winona State
University at 2 p.m.
- LMC -
