Photo Courtesy of Gerry Wall
BANNER ELK, N.C. – Fueled by a career-high 14 kills from Lexi Zangari, the Lees-McRae College women's volleyball team picked up a four-set victory over UVa-Wise (22-25, 25-18, 29-27, 25-13) Tuesday night at Williams Gymnasium. The win, which is the team's second straight, improves LMC's record to 5-16 on the season.
Set 1 – The opening set was an even one nearly across every statistical category. LMC looked like it would win the first frame midway through as it led 15-11 after 5-0 run. However, the Cavaliers put together a run of their own to tie the score again at 15. The two teams were tied at 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 before UVa-Wise closed out the set with a 3-0 run, 25-22.
Set 2 – Facing a 1-0 deficit, the Bobcats turned to their defense to tie the match at 1-1. As a team, Lees-McRae totaled five blocks in the second. Logan Slusher posted 2.5 blocks in the stanza, while Zangari was not far behind with two denials as well. This strong defensive effort proved to be enough as the Bobcats won the frame, 25-18.
Set 3 – With the score deadlocked at a set a piece, both the Cavaliers and Bobcats struggled getting their respective offenses on track. Neither team hit higher than .078 in the third. Even with the low hitting numbers, LMC was able to prevail, 29-27, thanks to Zangari's seven kills on 12 attacks.
Set 4 – Lees-McRae took the momentum it gained in the third and transferred that over to fourth and final set. LMC hit a dazzling .444 with 12 kills on 27 attacks with no errors in the set. Ellissa Small led the charge for Lees-McRae in the frame as she not only posted four kills but also four aces in the match-clinching 25-13 victory.
Stat Standouts – In addition to Zangari's 14-kill outing, several other Bobcats had stellar statistical performances Tuesday. Small finished with a double-double thanks to 10 kills and 14 digs. Megan Gallion also reached double figures in a pair of categories with 42 assists and 10 digs. Rounding out the stat leaders was Allie Cunningham, who tied Small with a team-high 14 digs on the night.
Next Up – The Bobcats will return to Conference Carolinas action Friday when they welcome Mount Olive to Williams Gymnasium. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
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-LMC-
