BOILING SPRINGS --- Senior Anna Pashkova (Iowa City, Iowa) became the all-time digs leader in Gardner-Webb's Division I history on Tuesday evening, and Taylor Lillard (Victorville, Calif.) posted a season- and match-high 17 kills to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs to a 3-1 victory over North Carolina Central in non-conference play in Paul Porter Arena.
"It is great to get back on the winning side tonight at home," said head coach Leo Sayles. "I was very pleased with our offensive output. We finally clicked in all offensive areas tonight. I am thrilled that Anna was able to break the GWU career dig record at home as well. She has done so much for our program, and she deserved to stand on her own court when she set it."
Gardner-Webb (3-5) won the match by scores of 25-12, 25-17, 19-25 and 25-14, registering 54 kills and hitting a blistering .371 as a team while committing just eight attack errors. The Runnin' Bulldogs combined for 61 digs, nine service aces and eight blocks on the night, while holding North Carolina Central (0-8) to 40 kills and a .156 hitting percentage.
Lillard paced the Gardner-Webb attack with a season-high 17 kills, committing just three errors to register a .318 hitting percentage and falling one kill shy of equaling her career-high. Sophomore Sydney Marshall (Norcross, Ga.) set a new career-high with 11 kills on just 14 swings, attacking at a sublime .786 clip, while adding four blocks.
"I was very pleased that Taylor Lillard also had a career night, and Tyra Montour had another solid match as she continues to progress forward from her spring injury," continued Sayles. "Our serving was a little off tonight, but we will retool tomorrow and prepare for our tourney at UTC. "
Kaelyn Dyson (Holly Springs, N.C.) and Tyra Montour (Kennesaw, Ga.) recorded nine and eight kills, respectively, while each posting a hitting percentage of at least .470. Justine Bowers (Dana Point, Calif.) turned in a career night of her own, establishing new personal-bests with 44 assists, four blocks and three kills, as senior Katie Loftin (Ooltewah, Tenn.) chipped in 15 digs – two shy of her career-high.
Pashkova wrote her name into a new spot in Gardner-Webb's record book on Tuesday evening, recording 19 digs to become the program's all-time leader in the school's Division I era with 1,877 career digs. Her performance pushes her past former GWU great Katie Matykowski's career total of 1,874, surpassing Matkykowski's mark in 82 fewer sets.
Kelsey Murphy led the way for North Carolina Central with 13 kills and a .367 hitting percentage, while Sydney Sumner and Kelly Rossip added 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Tamika Brekke tallied a match-high 20 digs, as Paige Phillips chipped in 30 assists. Rossip also recorded 14 digs to account for a double-double.
North Carolina Central kept it tight early in the first set, pulling within one at 9-8 on a Sumner smash to cap a 5-3 spurt. The Runnin' Bulldogs quickly answered with a 7-3 run, pushing the margin to 16-11 on a Loftin service ace.
After Sumner countered with a kill to trim the advantage to 16-12, Gardner-Webb responded with nine straight points, ending the set on a 9-0 surge to take a 1-0 lead in the match on a Lillard kill.
The Lady Eagles battled back in the second, taking an early 8-7 advantage before Gardner-Webb responded with a 12-6 run to open a 19-14 lead following a Marshall smash. The Runnin' Bulldogs would score six of the set's final nine points, claiming a commanding 2-0 advantage in the match on a kill from Montour.
North Carolina Central answered in the third, battling back and forth with the Runnin' Bulldogs through the early moments before seizing an 18-12 advantage on the heels of a 7-0 run. The Lady Eagles would keep pushing, holding off a late rally by the Runnin' Bulldogs before closing out the 25-19 victory, and forcing the match into a fourth frame.
Gardner-Webb jumped out to an early 8-4 lead in the fourth before the Lady Eagles responded, stringing together a 7-3 run to even the tally at 11-11 following a Murphy kill. The Runnin' Bulldogs would answer in dramatic fashion, embarking on a 9-1 surge to open a 20-12 margin on a Marshall smash.
Marshall and the Runnin' Bulldogs finished out the win from there, scoring five of the night's final seven points to seal the victory following an ace from Kacy O'Connor (Southport, N.C.).
Gardner-Webb returns to the court on Friday, September 11 when the Runnin' Bulldogs take on Austin Peay on the first day of the 2015 Scenic City Showdown, hosted by the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. First serve is slated for 3:00 pm.
