PEMBROKE –  The UNC Pembroke volleyball team had five players hit at least .400 and used a season-high .469 mark to run over visiting Shaw Thursday night at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court, sweeping the Bears 25-15, 30-28, 25-12.

The Braves (3-25) see an eight-game skid come to an end and record their first home victory of the 2016 campaign, while the Bears (16-7) lose for just the second time in their last 18 matches. UNCP has now won 19 of the 21 all-time meetings with Shaw.

The Black & Gold's .469 hitting percentage is almost .200 higher than any other match this season, and the hosts also set season highs in kills with 55 and assists with 53. UNCP's nine errors tie a season low, set in the second match of the season against Eckerd.

After opening the night with a painless 25-15 set-one victory, the Braves found themselves in a heated second set. With a 17-16 lead, Shaw rattled off five of the next six points to extend its lead to 22-17 and the match look destined for a 1-1 tie. But the hosts turned up the heat, winning six rallies in a row to snag a 23-22 lead. From there, each side had a trio of set points, but it was UNCP that converted first with an Alicia Paeplow service ace that capped off a 30-28 win. With the momentum fully on their side, the Black & Gold put together a dominant third set, hitting .552 with just one error to put a stamp on an impressive attack display.

Three Braves racked up at least double-digit kills, including senior Caroline Pridgen, who tied a season high with 15 kills and a .650 hitting percentage. It's her fourth-consecutive match with at least a dozen kills. Freshman Makaylah Elliott also tied a season high in kills, putting down 13 at a .500 clip, while sophomore Aquia Jones registered 11 kills and hit .400. Elliott added three blocks, while Pridgen and Aquia Jones assisted on two. Freshman Kiara Price tacked on five kills at a .444 clip and dug the ball five times. 

Paeplow dished out a team-best and season-high 24 assists and added five kills, four digs and a pair of blocks. Sophomore Bailee Jones came one dig shy of a double-double, tallying 23 assists and nine digs, while freshman Anna Heinz paced the home squad with 10 digs.

The Black & Gold hit the road Friday for a 7 p.m. tilt with Peach Belt Conference (PBC) rival Francis Marion before returning home for Senior Night Wednesday against USC Aiken, also a 7 p.m. first serve. The Patriots (14-10, 8-7 PBC) got the best of the Braves in four sets Sept. 28 in Pembroke and lead the all-time series 42-29.