PEMBROKE – Using a .201 hitting percentage and forcing the visiting Columbus State Cougars to commit 34 attack errors, the UNC Pembroke volleyball team clinched an exhilarating 3-2 upset win on Saturday afternoon inside the English E. Jones Center in Peach Belt Conference action.
The victory marked the second league victory for UNCP (11-13, 2-8 PBC) and first for the Black and Gold in the series between the two schools, while the loss for Columbus State (7-10, 4-5) snapped a four-game winning streak.
Junior Nicole Mathews led the Braves with a game-high 21 kills and 40 digs, while setter Sabrina Gonzalez finished the contest with 48 assists and 11 digs as the two Braves with double-doubles. Junior Cecilia Brandon and freshman Mallory Davis each posted six block assists with Brandon also tallying 12 kills.
"Coming back in the fourth set was critical," said Mathews. "We had to pick it up because we were making little errors that allowed them to get back into the game that could have let them beat us, but by eliminating those errors in four and five we were able to pull out the win."
The first set UNCP notched .333 hitting percentage, while utilizing eight hitting errors by Columbus State and its .095 hitting percentage to take the 1-0 win. Davis scored UNCP's final point on a kill as Gonzalez claimed the assist.
UNCP opened up the second set with a 3-1 lead, but the Cougars claimed eight of the next 11 points for the 9-6 lead and controlled the pace of the game. Erika Gelzintye helped Columbus State use a 6-1 run due to her serving to close out the second set and tie the game up at 1-1. Again in the third set, Columbus State controlled the lead following a tied 10-10 score and went ahead with a 2-1 lead.
UNCP hit a .205 hitting percentage in the fourth set and forced the Cougars to commit 10 hitting erros, while Davis was behind three of UNCP's nine block assists to even up the game at two sets apiece.
Finally in the fifth set, the Braves relied on Ka'asha Jefferies's serving to give UNCP a 3-1 lead which the Cougars struggled to match as the set continued. Mathews delivered four kills in five consecutive plays for UNCP to take the 8-5 lead. The final point began on Ivana Kazic's serve that soared over the net with Mathews behind for the dig and on a surprise play, Gonzalez tipped over the ball for the kill and the 3-2 win.
Katie Poole carried a team-best 15 kills for Columbus State and was one of three players with a double-double performance with her 15 digs.
The Braves will head for a three-game road stand on Friday beginning with a 7 p.m. PBC contest against USC Aiken (12-5, 6-3) in Aiken, S.C.
