ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tyler Cockrell (Tulsa, Okla.) recorded 15 kills, and Anna Pashkova (Iowa City, Iowa) totaled 24 digs as Winthrop held on for a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Gardner-Webb in Big South Conference play on Saturday afternoon.
Winthrop (14-7, 4-1 Big South) won the match by scores of 25-22, 23-25, 25-21 and 25-23, attacking at a .139 clip in a defensive battle which saw Gardner-Webb (9-14, 2-3 Big South) post a nearly identical hitting percentage of .138. The two teams combined for more than 300 attack attempts, 148 digs and 12 blocks in a contest that featured 20 ties and five lead changes.
"I'm proud of our girls for hanging in and fighting through a tough match," said head coach Leo Sayles. "Winthrop served us tough and we had to play through some rough spots in the lineup, but the Bulldogs have some fight in them. It is clear this was a battle when you look at the hitting percentages and the digs for each side."
Cockrell paced the Runnin' Bulldog attack with 15 kills and five blocks, as Tyra Montour (Kennesaw, Ga.) added a double-double with 12 digs and 10 kills. Brianna Starr (Blue Springs, Mo.) chipped in eight smashes and 18 digs, while Heather Feldman (Eden, N.Y.) and Pashkova tallied 40 assists and 24 digs, respectively.
Alina Sopizhuk led the way for Winthrop with a match-high 16 kills while adding 12 digs for a double-double. Brianna Gray and Nikki Drost each chipped in 10 smashes, as Drost posted 11 digs. Kelly Scott nearly posted a double-double with 42 assists and eight digs, while also tallying six kills and a match-high four aces. Maria Volstad recorded a match-high 33 digs for the Eagles.
Gardner-Webb rallied from an early 5-0 hole in the first, answering with an 11-6 run to even the tally at 11-11 on a dump by Feldman. Winthrop quickly countered with a 10-6 spurt, claiming a 21-17 lead with a Sopizhuk smash. After Gardner-Webb fought back with three straight points, Winthrop regained control with a 4-1 run, closing out the set with a Keaupono Fey kill to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Runnin' Bulldogs battled back in the early moments of the second, breaking a 7-7 deadlock with a 7-2 spurt to take a 14-9 advantage on an ace by Kacy O'Connor (Southport, N.C.). Gardner-Webb would continue to dictate play over the next few minutes, pushing the margin to 19-13 before Winthrop responded with a 9-3 spurt to knot the score at 22-22.
O'Connor and the Runnin' Bulldogs wasted little time in answering, scoring three of the next four points to claim the set on a Cockrell kill to even the match at 1-1.
The Eagles countered quickly to open the third, surging to an early 7-1 lead before pushing the margin to 17-8 on a solo stuff by Gray. Gardner-Webb would respond in a big way, answering with an 11-2 run of its own to tie the score at 19-19 following an emphatic smash from Starr.
After Gardner-Webb knotted the score at 20-20 with a tandem block by Cockrell and Feldman, Winthrop regained control with five of the next six points, taking the set and a 2-1 lead in the match following a kill by Scott.
Winthrop carried the momentum into the fourth, opening the set with an 11-7 run before Gardner-Webb responded with three straight points to close the gap to 11-10 on a Montour kill. The Eagles quickly countered with a 10-5 spurt, pushing the advantage to 21-15 following a smash by Gray.
The Runnin' Bulldogs would refuse to back down, answering with a 6-0 spurt to even the tally at 21-21 on a kill by Devin Judge (Marietta, Ga.). The tide quickly turned with a pair of Runnin' Bulldog miscues, as Winthrop took a 23-21 lead before pushing Gardner-Webb to match point following a Cockrell kill and a GWU service error.
Montour responded for the Runnin' Bulldogs with a kill, fighting off one match point for Gardner-Webb before Winthrop closed out the set and the match with a kill by Rachel Lenz.
"Close matches are decided on error management, and we did not seize every opportunity we had," continued Sayles. "Still, we are in a decent spot in the conference and need to bounce back next week against Asheville."
Gardner-Webb is back in action on Friday, October 17 when the Runnin' Bulldogs make the short trip to Asheville, N.C. to take on UNC Asheville in Big South play. The Runnin' Bulldogs edged the Bulldogs in a five-set thriller on September 26 in the teams' first matchup of the season.
