Box Score GREENWOOD, S.C. – Brianna Warren registered a career-best 15 kills and eight blocks, and newcomer Katie Pressley got in on the action as well with a career-best 38 assists, but the UNC Pembroke volleyball team could not stop the late momentum of home-standing Lander on the way to a 3-2 (25-20, 18-25, 25-16, 18-25, 10-15) setback on Friday evening in Horne Arena.
 
It was the second-straight road loss for the Braves (6-7, 6-7 PBC) who will close out the regular season portion of its 2021 spring campaign on Saturday afternoon at Young Harris. The result snapped a two-match skid for Lander (3-10, 3-10) who picked up its second home win of the abbreviated season as well.

 

MATCH SUMMARY
FINAL SCORE	Lander 3, UNC Pembroke 1 (25-20, 18-25, 25-16, 18-25, 10-15)
RECORDS	UNC Pembroke 6-7, 6-7 PBC; Lander 3-10, 3-10 PBC
ARENA	Greenwood, S.C. (Horne Arena)

MATCH REPLAY
SET 1 I 25-20	The Braves used three attack errors by the hosts, as well as a service ace from April Tankersley, to grab an early 4-0 advantage that got the evening going. The Bearcats pulled to within a single point, 7-6, on a kill from McCayla Willingham, but UNCP answered with three-straight points to pull away for good. UNCP led by as many as six points, 22-16, late in the set, and finished it out with a pair of kills, as well as Lander's eighth hitting error of the stanza.
SET 2 I 18-25	The Bearcats hit better than .300 at the net and evened things up with a win in the second set. The hosts put together an early 7-1 run, and eventually forged a 19-7 advantage midway through. UNCP used a pair of four-point runs to close to within six points, 23-17, late in the set, but Lander got a kill from Olivia Dow to set up match point, and evened up the match thanks to a kill from Maya Walker.
SET 3 I 25-16	UNCP turned the tide in the third set and posted a .313 hitting percentage to storm back out in front in the match. Lander scored two consecutive points to take a short-lived lead, 8-7, midway through, but the Black & Gold tacked up six of the next seven points to take the lead for good. The visitors closed out the third-set victory with a 6-1 run as well.
SET 4 I 21-25	The Bearcats forced a deciding fifth set by limiting the visitors to just a -.029 hitting percentage in set No. 4. The Braves scored three-straight points to eventually grab a 16-15 edge thanks to an attack error by the Bearcats, but Lander closed out the fourth set with a 10-2 run to swing the momentum.
SET 4 I 10-15	The squads split the first eight points of the deciding fifth set, but Lander strung together an 8-1 run after that to take control. The Braves tacked up a littering of late points to help slow the surge, but the Bearcats got a kill from Deona Mims to set up match point, and then finished off the evening on Christina Aguayo's kill.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
KILLS	Brianna Warren (15), Shannon Skryd (11), Kaila Crowder (8)
ASSISTS	Katie Pressley (38), Hope Turbyfill (2), Brianna Warren (1)
DIGS	Hope Turbyfill (23), Kaila Crowder (14), Shannon Skryd (12)
BLOCKS	Brianna Warren (8), Taylor Osborne (3), Katie Pressley (2)
SERVICE ACES	Hope Turbyfill (2), April Tankersley (2), Kaila Crowder (2)

 

UP NEXT

The Braves will close out the regular season portion of its 2021 spring schedule on Saturday when they head to northwest Georgia to lock horns with Young Harris (0-13, 0-13 PBC) inside the YHC Recreation and Fitness Center. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m.

 

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JOIN THE BRAVES CLUB

Fans can help support the UNC Pembroke Volleyball program by joining the Braves Club. To find out more information about the Braves Club, visit UNCPBraves.com/BravesClub or email braves.club@uncp.edu.