DURHAM, N.C. --- Kaelyn Dyson (Holly Springs, N.C.) tallied eight kills, and Jene Lee (San Dimas, Calif.) added five smashes and a match-high eight blocks to lead Gardner-Webb to a straight-set sweep of North Carolina Central on Wednesday evening in non-conference play.
Gardner-Webb (7-14) won the match by scores of 25-18, 25-18 and 25-23, attacking at a .163 clip while holding North Carolina Central (3-19) to a hitting percentage of .031. The Runnin' Bulldogs combined for 37 kills, 44 digs and 12 blocks, as North Carolina Central tallied 25 kills, 40 digs and seven stuffs.
"It is always tough to get a win on the road but the team did a great job competing against a determined NCCU squad," said head coach Leo Sayles. "Our block caused them some problems early, and our grit held us together at the end. Jene Lee was a strong presence in the middle for us today. I'm very pleased with our efforts."
Tyra Montour (Kennesaw, Ga.) paced the Runnin' Bulldogs with nine kills, as Dyson added eight smash and a .400 hitting percentage. Lee posted five kills and a match-high eight blocks, while Anna Pashkova (Iowa City, Iowa) recorded 13 digs.
Sydney Marshall (Norcross, Ga.) tallied three kills, four blocks and three service aces. Justine Bowers (Dana Point, Calif.) chipped in three kills, four blocks and match-high 29 assists.
Kelsey Murphy led the way for North Carolina Central with a match-high 11 kills, as Kelly Rossip added eight smashes and Marilyn Sherbondy recorded a contest-best 19 digs. Casey Curran dished out 23 assists for the Eagles.
The Runnin' Bulldogs started out strong, opening the first set with a 7-4 run before North Carolina Central fought back with four straight points to seize a narrow 8-7 advantage following a GWU miscue. Gardner-Webb quickly countered with a 6-1 run to claim a 13-8 lead on an ace from Marshall.
Five of the next nine points would go to Gardner-Webb, stretching the margin to 18-12 with a Montour smash. After the Eagles answered with three quick points to cut the advantage to 18-15, Gardner-Webb responded with a 7-3 run to close out the set and take a 1-0 lead in the match following a Marshall ace.
Play went back and forth early in the second set, with North Carolina Central snatching a 9-7 advantage on a Curran smash. Gardner-Webb would quickly counter with an 8-3 run, claiming a 15-12 lead with a Montour kill before three straight NCCU points evened the score at 15-15.
A 10-3 run by the Runnin' Bulldogs closed out the second set, giving Gardner-Webb a commanding 2-0 lead in the match following an emphatic tandem block by Lee and Bowers.
The third set proved to be perhaps the most closely contested of the night, with Gardner-Webb extending an 18-15 lead to 22-18 on a Dyson smash before the Eagles answered with three straight points, trimming the margin to one. After the Eagles knotted the score at 23-23, Gardner-Webb countered with back-to-back points to seal the victory on a tandem stuff by Marshall and Montour.
Gardner-Webb returns to the court on Friday when the Runnin' Bulldogs host their Education Day match, resuming their Big South Conference schedule against UNC Asheville at 11:30 am in Paul Porter Arena.
