ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Kaelyn Dyson had 14 kills and four blocks to lead Gardner-Webb, but the Runnin' Bulldogs would fall to UNC Asheville by a 3-1 in the Big South Conference opener on Tuesday evening.
 
UNC Asheville (5-1, 1-0 Big South) won the match by scores of 25-22, 25-17, 21-25, and 25-19, attacking at a .250 percentage with 56 kills.  Gardner-Webb (6-7, 0-1 Big South) attacked at nearly the same percentage at .252, collecting 51 kills on the evening.
 
"This is a disappointing way to start conference play," stated Gardner-Webb head coach Leo Sayles after the match. "UNC Asheville is tough at home and did a very good job serving us out of our system.  We felt we had a solid plan offensively and defensively, but if players cannot execute the plan it means nothing.  Too many players had off nights and we cannot try to be competitive if we cannot find six players at any given time able to execute on the floor.  Hopefully this was just an off night and we will bounce back Friday."
 
Dyson led the Runnin' Bulldogs with 14 kills, while Maria Emmick and Molly Johnson each had 13 and 12 smashes respectively.  Dyson also led the team with four total blocks.  Amanda Sahm led the squad with 21 assists and Emma Milstead led the team with 14 digs.
 
UNC Asheville was led by Cara Guthrie with 18 kills, Kailey Hackett and Cecilia Stack with one block each, Hackett with 23 assists, and Sheridan Salisbury with 16 digs.
 
UNC Asheville would jump out to an early 8-3 lead in the first set, and would maintain control throughout.  GWU would pull within one point at 14-13 after a kill by Johnston and again at 23-22 after an attack error by Asheville's Ava Venema, but Asheville would go on to take the opening set, 25-22.
 
The opening points of the second set would go back and forth, with the set tied at 4-4, until UNC Asheville would string together three straight points to take an early 7-4 lead.  Asheville would expand its advantage to five points at 13-8, but the Runnin' Bulldogs would slowly chip away at their deficit to pull within two points at 17-15 after a kill by Dyson.  UNC Asheville would then go on a 8-2 run to close out the set at 25-17.
 
After the intermission, the third set started much like the second, with neither team taking an early advantage until UNC Asheville would take a three-point lead at 11-8.  Gardner-Webb would then go on a 10-2 run to seize control of the set, capping the run with a block by Hannah Lancaster and Dyson to set the score at 18-13.  The Runnin' Bulldogs would go on to take the set by a 25-21 score, sealing the set on a kill by Dyson.
 
Asheville would control much of the fourth set, opening with a 10-3 run.  GWU would pull within three points at 20-17 after a Dyson kill, but would be unable to trim the deficit any further as UNC Asheville would take the set by a 25-19 score to take the overall match win.
 
Gardner-Webb returns home for its next match, hosting Radford on Friday, September 22 at 7:00 pm. The match is a "Dig Lime" match, with fans encouraged to wear lime green, the official support color of lymphoma, as the team looks to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.