NEWBERRY, S.C. – The UNC Pembroke volleyball team paced Belmont Abbey to a five-set matchup in the second game of the day, but struggled in the final set at the Crusaders picked up the 3-2 win which followed a 3-1 loss to host-Newberry earlier on Friday on the first day of the Newberry Invitational in Eleazer Arena.
The Braves (0-2) had set scores of 18-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-15 with Newberry (1-0) and scores of 25-14, 15-25, 25-23, 22-25, 7-15 with Belmont Abbey (1-1).
Senior Nicole Mathews led the Black and Gold on the day with 36 kills and 31 digs as she amassed a team-best 23 in the contest with Belmont Abbey. Newcomer Alicia Paeplow dished out 38 assists and was behind 30 digs, while junior Josephine Yang led the team with 50 digs for 5.56 digs per set following the two games.
Junior Brittani Jefferson finished the day with eight block assists, seven coming in game one against Newberry, and one solo block, while Caroline Pridgen had seven block assists and 16 kills and Cecilia Brandon tallied 12 kills and four block assists.
In the season opening contest against Newberry, the Braves proved they were a force to be reckoned with at the net with nine team blocks, but the Wolves posted 13 more kills and out-hit UNCP in each set but the second. UNCP captured 12 kills in set two and finished the contest hitting .286 with the game tied at one set apiece, however Newberry capped off the contest with wins in the final two sets.
UNCP bounced back in the matchup against Belmont Abbey and claimed 55 kills along with out-hitting and out-digging the Crusaders despite hitting .118 compared to .123 by Belmont Abbey. The Braves quickly claimed the first set, but the tides turns as hitting errors delivered the second set to Belmont Abbey. A tight third set went in favor of the Braves and set four went to the Crusaders and both teams had double-digit kills in each of those sets. However, an early lead in the final set gave Belmont Abbey the advantage for the win as the squad hit a match-high .316 in the final set.
Newberry was led by Logan Hayward with 14 kills and 13 digs, while two others posted double-digit kills. Hannah Schellenberg tallied 14 kills for Belmont Abbey along with 15 digs.
The Braves will be back in action on Saturday for the second day of the Newberry Invitational with an 11 a.m. matchup against Lees-McRae (0-1) and a 3 p.m. battle against Mars Hill (1-0) in Newberry, S.C.
