BOILING SPRINGS --- Kaelyn Dyson (Holly Springs, N.C.) registered a match- and career-high 16 kills to lead three Gardner-Webb players in double-digits, as the Runnin' Bulldogs defeated UNC Asheville, 3-1, in Big South Conference play on Friday afternoon.
With the victory, Gardner-Webb (8-14, 3-3 Big South) moves into a tie with Asheville for fifth in the Big South standings and runs its winning streak to four matches. The Runnin' Bulldogs posted 56 kills, 49 digs and nine blocks in the contest, attacking at a .259 clip, while holding UNC Asheville (10-8, 3-3 Big South) to 43 kills, 48 digs and a .203 hitting percentage.
"Great job by the team today!" praised head coach Leo Sayles. "We had a wonderful, rowdy crowd, and we did a great job executing in a loud environment. Justine Bowers did a great job distributing the ball and giving us good looks. Kaelyn had a tremendous day on the right side and Taylor was solid again. I'm very proud of our effort today!"
Dyson led the way for Gardner-Webb with a match-high 16 kills, attacking at a .481 clip, while adding three blocks. Taylor Lillard (Victorville, Calif.) and Tyra Montour (Kennesaw, Ga.) chipped in 15 and 10 kills, respectively. Sydney Marshall (Norcross, Ga.) tallied eight kills and a match-high six blocks, while Justine Bowers (Dana Point, Calif.) dished out a contest-best 42 assists. Anna Pashkova (Iowa City, Iowa) recorded 16 digs in the match.
Cara Guthrie and Madison Vaughn paced the Asheville attack with 10 kills each, as Christine Lakatos and Cameron Pryor both added nine smashes. Guthrie also tallied a match-high six service aces, as Bryn Pfeiffer recorded 16 digs. Katie Davis dished out 25 assists for the Bulldogs.
The first set proved to be a back-and-forth battle featuring eight ties and four lead changes, including a 5-1 run by Gardner-Webb to break a 10-10 deadlock midway through the frame. Asheville answered right back with a 9-4 spurt to claim a narrow 20-19 advantage following a Guthrie service ace.
The Runnin' Bulldogs quickly countered with six of the next eight points, reclaiming the lead and taking a 1-0 advantage in the match on a smash by Marshall.
Set two was even more tightly contested than the first, with 13 ties, eight lead changes and only one advantage of more than three points. Gardner-Webb would grab the early momentum with a 4-1 spurt midway through the frame, opening the largest lead of the set for either team at 11-7 following a Bowers kill.
Asheville quickly answered with an 11-5 run, battling back to claim an 18-16 advantage following a tandem block by Davis and Pryor. After the Runnin' Bulldogs countered with a 6-3 spurt, Asheville responded with four straight points to close out the set and even the match at 1-1 on back-to-back Guthrie aces.
The Runnin' Bulldogs answered in a big way in the third set, breaking a 9-9 deadlock with a 16-5 surge to claim a 2-1 lead in the match after a timely swing by Bowers pushed Asheville to set point in the midst of an 8-0 set-ending run.
Asheville battled back in the fourth, opening an early 6-4 lead before Gardner-Webb answered with a 12-5 run that was capped by back-to-back Marshall smashes. The Bulldogs would quickly counter with a 9-5 spurt, closing the gap to one at 21-20 following a kill from Davis.
The Runnin' Bulldogs regained control moments later, scoring four of the set's final five points to finish the frame and seal the victory on a textbook block by Dyson and Jene Lee (San Dimas, Calif.).
Gardner-Webb returns to the court on Saturday afternoon when the Runnin' Bulldogs host South Carolina State at 4:00 pm in non-conference play.
