POSTGAME INTERVIEWS
LINK: Sophomore Setter Tori Weatherley
LINK: Head Coach Eric Plunkett
 
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb University volleyball team returned home on Friday night and picked up its fourth win in Big South Conference play as the Runnin' Bulldogs made quick work of Hampton University, sweeping the Lady Pirates in straight sets inside Paul Porter Arena, 3-0. 
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs (7-10; 4-3 Big South) picked up their third win in five matches behind a season-high .243 hitting percentage, racking up 36 kills to only 11 errors while limiting Hampton (1-13; 0-7 Big South) to only 24 kills on .018 hitting. The 'Dogs added seven aces, 11 individual blocks, 35 assists and 59 digs, good enough to best the Lady Pirates in each statistical category. 
 
"We talked a lot this week about outworking and out-executing, and I thought we did that," said Gardner-Webb head coach Eric Plunkett. "It's great to be home. We didn't travel well in our first road weekend of conference, so it's really good to come back home, recalibrate and get into a groove before we go back out."
 
Gardner-Webb received strong contributions across the board in Friday night's winning effort. Sophomore setter Tori Weatherley posted her third double-double of the season with a match-high 26 assists and 10 digs, and Hannah Donaldson led all players with 10 kills on .529 hitting, an identical percentage registered by teammate Makena Phillips in which resulted in a career-high. Phillips finished with nine digs for the second time in three matches on 17 attacks.
 
As for the Big South's leader in digs per set, Mikah McIntosh continued her strong defensive play with a team-leading 23 digs to go with eight assists and five service aces, just one shy of a career-high. Delaney McCullough and Audrey Gun joined Weatherley with two blocks apiece, while Donaldson paced GWU with four total blocks on the night, including one solo. 
 
"We had a pretty tough weekend last weekend, and I think we all came in ready to work this week," said Weatherley. "We really focused on working on our game, playing on our side of the court, being aggressive and consistent, being disciplined, and I think we executed tonight against a really good Hampton team."
 
Hampton, who has now dropped 10 in a row, got off to a good start by pressing Gardner-Webb throughout the opening frame of the evening. However, clinging onto a 21-18 lead, the Lady Pirates failed to fend off a late push from the Runnin' Bulldogs, who used a timely 5-1 run to overtake a 23-22 lead before going on to claim the first game by a score of 25-23.
 
The 'Dogs controlled the match from that point on. With McIntosh on serve in set two, GWU opened a 19-6 advantage thanks to a 13-0 run that included three service aces and three kills from Kylee Garrison, who finished the night with nine kills of her own. After ultimately racing to a wide 25-12 victory in the second frame, Gardner-Webb then took aim at the three-set sweep, eventually pulling away to earn another win, 25-18, for its third 3-0 victory of the season. 
 
Gardner-Webb, who has now matched its highest win total since 2016, returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, October 15 when it welcomes Campbell to Boiling Springs for a 2 p.m. showdown inside Paul Porter Arena.