Solano Sets a New Career-High in Kills in 3-2 Loss to Winthrop On Senior Night
November 03, 2012 | Volleyball
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Gardner-Webb senior right side hitter Carolina Solano recorded a career-high 18 kills, as the Runnin' Bulldogs suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the Winthrop Lady Eagles on Senior Night in Boiling Springs, N.C.
GWU fell to Winthrop in five sets 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 19-25, and 7-15.
The loss drops GWU to 9-19 overall and 4-7 in the Big South Conference, while Winthrop improves to 13-14 overall and 7-5 in the Big South with the regular season series sweep of the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Behind Solano's match-high 18 kills was Erin Anderson with 13 kills and Tyler Cockrell with 10 kills for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Solano, Cockrell and Amanda Murphy all posted four total blocks apiece, one behind Anderson's career-high five total blocks, as the Runnin' Bulldogs as a team posted 12 total blocks.
Setter Heather Feldman dished out 47 assists, a match-high, while also adding 12 digs for her 12th double-double of the season. Anderson also tallied 13 digs to post her second double-double of the year, while tying libero Anna Pashkova for a team-high 13 digs.
Winthrop had a balanced attack, as six different Lady Eagles recorded nine kills or more led by Rachel Lenz match-high 19 kills. Libero Catherine Brusie posted a match-high 18 digs, while Kristine Cruse posted 13 digs and nine kills in the win.
The home team in front of a packed out Paul Porter Arena took an early 4-2 lead on a Solano service ace to start the first set.
After pushing its lead to three at 10-7 on a Winthrop attack error, the Lady Eagles battled back to take a 13-12 lead with a 5-3 run, highlighted by kills from Amy Zimmer, Stephanie Palmer and Cruse.
Back-to-back errors by the Lady Eagles pushed GWU back in front by one at 14-13, however, the next two points went in favor of Winthrop to give them the lead once more by one at 15-14.
A kill by Murphy stopped the Winthrop run and jump-started a 6-2 run, capped off by a Pashkova service ace, to put the home team in front by three at 20-17.
A 3-1 run by the Lady Eagles cut the GWU lead to one at 21-20, yet the home team finished the opening set out strong, using two Cockrell kills to help lead Gardner-Webb to the 25-22 first set victory.
Gardner-Webb fell behind early in the second set, 3-1, yet clawed its way back into the set to take a 9-6 lead on back-to-back kills from Feldman and Anderson.
The two teams would tie the score up six more times over the next several rallies, as a GWU attack error would knot the score up at 19-19, before back-to-back kills from Anderson and Solano put the Runnin' Bulldogs back in front by two at 21-19
After a Winthrop timeout, the visitors tied the score up at 21-21 with the help of two straight GWU errors, only to see the Runnin' Bulldogs again finish the set out strong by outscoring Winthrop 4-1 to earn the 25-22 second set win and take a 2-0 match lead.
Up 2-0 in the match, GWU took a 2-0 lead to start the third set and then pushed its lead to three at 9-6 on another Solano kill.
With the score at 14-11 in favor of the Runnin' Bulldogs, the Winthrop Lady Eagles came out of a timeout determined to get back into the set, using an 8-5 run to take the lead at 20-19 and force a GWU timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Runnin' Bulldogs committed two straight errors to allow the Lady Eagles to push its lead out to three at 22-19.
GWU cut the Winthrop lead to one at 24-23 on a Murphy kill, yet couldn't fight off its third straight set point, as Zimmer posted a kill to give the Lady Eagles the 25-23 third set win.
The third set loss seemed to have bothered the Runnin' Bulldogs, as Winthrop soared out to a 7-4 lead to start the fourth set and force an early timeout.
The GWU timeout appeared to work for the home team, as the Runnin' Bulldogs responded with a 7-2 run, capped off by an Anderson kill, to take a two point lead at 11-9.
After a Lenz kill and a GWU ball handling error pushed Winthrop in front by one at 15-14, the Runnin' Bulldogs couldn't regain the lead as the Lady Eagles stayed one or two points ahead for the next several possessions.
With the score at 19-18, Winthrop outscored GWU 6-1 down the stretch to defeat the Runnin' Bulldogs 25-19 and force a fifth and decisive set.
Gardner-Webb took the first lead of the fifth set at 1-0 on a Winthrop block error and then held onto that one point lead at 5-4 on another Lady Eagle error.
However, like they had done all match long, the Lady Eagles fought its way back into the set to take a 10-6 lead on another Lenz kill.
After a Winthrop service error put the score at 10-7, GWU would fail to score over the rest of the set, giving up five straight points to the Lady Eagles in the 15-7 set loss.
GWU falls to 0-4 this season in five set matches.
GWU seniors Solano, Chelsea Hearne, Molly Rhyne and Dominique Bray were recognized prior to the match.
Gardner-Webb will remain at home to host Presbyterian College at 5 p.m. tomorrow evening, while Winthrop will stay on the road to face off with UNC Asheville on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Asheville, N.C.
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| Box Score: Winthrop 3, GWU 2 |
