BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Keira Moore had 14 kills and four blocks to help lead Gardner-Webb to a 3-2 comeback win over North Carolina Central in the opening match of the 2017 AmericInn Runnin' Bulldog Invitational on Friday afternoon.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs (2-2) took the match by scores of 19-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-18, and 15-11.  GWU held the Eagles (0-4) to a .098 hitting percentage, while attacking at a .232 clip with 57 kills.
 
Moore led GWU with 14 kills while Molly Johnston collected 12 smashes.  Moore and Hannah Driscoll each had four blocks to lead the team, while Emma Milstead led the squad with 20 digs.
 
Kierra Shipman led NCCU with 10 kills, with McKayla Young tallying four blocks and Nahir Berrios collecting 22 digs to lead the team.
 
Gardner-Webb would jump out to an early three-point advantage at 9-6 in the opening set after a service ace by Amanda Sahm, but NCCU would go on a 6-1 run to take a two-point lead at 12-10, and would later go on a 7-1 run to push its lead to 19-13.  The Eagles would go on to take the opening set by a score of 25-19.
 
The second set was tight throughout, as there were 14 ties and eight lead changes.  Gardner-Webb would lead at 17-16 after an ace rom Hannah Lancaster, but the Eagles would score three straight points to reclaim the lead for the remainder of the set, taking a 25-22 win to take a 2-0 advantage into the break.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs would respond after the intermission, taking a quick 3-1 lead at the onset of the third set after a kill by Moore.  GWU would not trail for the remainder of the set and would string together five straight points midway through the stanza to take an 18-13 lead and control of the set.  The 'Dogs would take the set by a six-point margin at 25-19, capped by a kill by Moore.
 
GWU would control much of the fourth set, breaking a 9-9 tie with a 4-0 run, capped by a ace from Joy Rhodes, to take a 13-9 lead.  Gardner-Webb would lead by as many as eight points after a kill by Johnston set the score at 23-15, and would go on to take the set by a 25-18 score to send the match to a decisive fifth-set.
 
NCCU would take an early 3-1 lead to start the final set, yet the 'Dogs would go on a 6-1 swing to claim a 7-4 lead.  The Eagles would tie the set at 8-8, but GWU would take the lead for good, scoring the next two points on consecutive kills by Johnston and Rhodes, and would go on to take the set by a 15-11 score and the overall match win.
 
Gardner-Webb returns to action tonight at 6:30 pm, hosting USC Upstate as the Runnin' Bulldog Invitational continues.  The match will be broadcast live on the Big South Network (www.bigsouthsports.com).