Related: Volleyball Slides Past Emmanuel For Season's First Triumph
FLORENCE, S.C. – The UNC Pembroke volleyball team wrapped up the Francis Marion Invitational Saturday, suffering losses to both Barton and Newberry at the Smith University Center in Florence, South Carolina.
The Braves (1-9) could not build upon the momentum from Friday's victory, the season's first. Barton (3-6) downed UNCP in four sets, 25-14, 25-19, 20-25, 25-20, before Newberry (3-5) got the best of the Black & Gold in straight sets, 25-20, 25-23, 25-19.
The third set against Barton was a bright spot for the Braves, hitting .448, a season high, and racking up 15 kills. The Bulldogs held a .226-.195 advantage across all four sets, notching 57 kills to UNCP's 41. The Black & Gold blocked four balls, one more than Barton.
Makaylah Elliott was the lone Brave with double-digit kills, knocking down 11 on 34 attempts.
Caroline Pridgen hit .438 with eight kills,
Madelyn Ashwell added seven kills and
Alicia Paeplow notched six kills and 15 assists.
Kaasha Jefferies led all Braves with a season-high 18 digs, eight more than her previous best.
UNCP had its chances with the Wolves of Newberry, even holding a 19-15 lead in the season set. But Newberry went on a 4-0 run to tie the set at 19-19 before edging out the two-point victory. The Braves hit .172 with 34 kills, while the Wolves racked up 46 kills at a .231 clip. Both squads dug the ball 42 times and the Black & Gold had five blocks to Newberry's three.
Pridgen was responsible for 41 percent of UNCP's kills, notching 14 with a .524 hitting percentage. Her .333 season mark is good for a tie for seventh in the Peach Belt Conference. Paeplow and
Bailee Jones both played an integral part of the 6-2 offense, dishing out 13 and 16 assists, respectively.
Having finished their non-conference tune-up, the Braves will leap into conference play with eight-consecutive league matches, beginning Friday with a 7 p.m. contest at USC Aiken. The Pacers defeated UNCP twice in 2015, once in straight sets and once in a four-set affair. USC Aiken holds a 49-13 advantage in the series history, dating back to 1983.
