PEMBROKE – The UNC Pembroke volleyball team was firing on all cylinders out of the gates, as the Braves got 19 kills from tournament most outstanding player
Vanja Przulj and 14 more from all-tournament team standout
Shannon Skryd to cruise to their first league title in nearly three decades with a 3-1 victory over Emmanuel on Sunday in the championship match of the Conference Carolinas Volleyball Championships.
It was the first conference championship for the Braves (21-13) since the 1993 squad captured the Peach Belt Conference regular season crown. It is the second Conference Carolinas championship in program history, as the Black & Gold also laid claim to the then-Carolinas Conference title in 1991. The setback snapped a 14-match win streak for Emmanuel (24-8) who had gone more than a month without tasting defeat.
Przulj and Skryd were joined on the all-tournament team by senior
Brianna Warren. The Braves, who will make their first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history by virtue of the automatic bid from Conference Carolinas, will gather at an undisclosed location on Sunday evening for the NCAA Tournament Selection Show. That program is set to air at 10:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
| MATCH SUMMARY |
| FINAL SCORE |
UNC Pembroke 3, Emmanuel 1 (25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 25-18) |
| RECORDS |
UNC Pembroke 21-13, Emmanuel 24-8 |
| ARENA |
Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court (Pembroke, N.C.) |
| MATCH REPLAY |
| SET 1 I 25-20 |
Emmanuel scored four of the first five points of the stanza, but the hosts responded by capturing eight of the next nine points to storm ahead for good. The Braves hit a blistering .522 in the opening set, and forged a lead as much as seven points, 21-14, following a kill from Shannon Skryd. |
| SET 2 I 25-20 |
UNCP tallied three service aces and trio of blocks in the second set and never trailed after putting up the first three points. The Braves led 11-7 after a service ace from Morgan Gibbs, and eventually padded their lead out to six points, 18-12, via block assists from Brianna Warren and Shannon Skryd. |
| SET 3 I 23-25 |
The Lions used .360 hitting at the net to get on the board with a tight third-set victory. The Braves forged an early 10-6 advantage, and led 18-16 following a kill from Shannon Skryd, but the Lions strung together three-straight points to pull ahead for good. |
| SET 4 I 25-18 |
UNCP returned to its first-set form in the fourth stanza, hitting .294 with a quartet of service aces to secure the match. The squads split the first eight points of the set, but the Braves followed with a 9-2 run to race out front for good. Emmanuel pulled to within a point, 17-16, on a block midway through, but the Black & Gold responded with a 7-1 run before hitting cruise control. |
| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
| KILLS |
Vanja Przulj (19), Shannon Skryd (14), Brianna Warren (7) |
| ASSISTS |
Morgan Gibbs (41), Katie Pressley (7), Hope Turbyfill (1) |
| DIGS |
Katie Pressley (26), Vanja Przulj (16), Morgan Gibbs (11) |
| BLOCKS |
Brianna Warren (4), Morgan Gibbs (2), Erin O'Donnell (2) |
| SERVICE ACES |
Hope Turbyfill (3), Morgan Gibbs (2), Vanja Przulj (2) |
|
| UP NEXT |
| The Braves will venture into the NCAA postseason for the first time in program history on November 17. Host sites and pairings for the 64-team NCAA Tournament will be announced on Sunday evening (November 13) at 10:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. |
| STAY CONNECTED |
| Follow UNCP Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram at @UNCP_Volleyball and "Like" UNCPVolleyball on Facebook. |
