Postgame Interview with Head Coach Eric Plunkett
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. –
Kylee Garrison nearly notched her fifth double-double of the season, but the Gardner-Webb University volleyball team was unable to overcome an injury to team captain
Hannah Donaldson midway through the first set as the Runnin' Bulldogs dropped Friday's match to USC Upstate in straight sets in front of a passionate home crowd inside Paul Porter Arena.
Doing her part to overcome the loss of her co-captain, Garrison led Gardner-Webb with a team-high 13 kills on .194 hitting with nine digs. It marks the 11
th time this season the senior outside hitter has posted double-digit kills.
Makena Phillips and
Audrey Gun each posted five kills apiece for the 'Dogs, while freshman
Kayla Hawkins stepped in and produced four kills to match teammate
Delaney McCullough, who led GWU with a strong .231 hitting percentage.
"Obviously, losing a player like Hannah in the manner in which we did, I think our team felt for that," said Gardner-Webb head coach
Eric Plunkett. "It took us a little bit of time to get emotionally in a place to play, but I think we did. I'm extremely proud of the team today.
"We've had a few injuries recently, and this team could've given up," Plunkett continued. "But we didn't. We fought; we battled. Even with a crazy lineup with people that haven't played in any kind of position that they've played before, they were able to figure out a way to compete. I know it's not a win, but a 25-23 battle in the third set with losing those kinds of people with a caliber like Hannah, it's hopefully a situation we can move forward from."
Entering the weekend ranked No. 20 in the nation in digs per set,
Mikah McIntosh paced the Runnin' Bulldogs with 17 digs. At setter,
Tori Weatherley registered her second consecutive double-double with 24 assists and a career-high 13 digs.
Playing in front of a packed home crowd inside Paul Porter Arena, Gardner-Webb took a 13-12 lead over USC Upstate and remained tied at 16-16 before an injury to Donaldson forced the 'Dogs to play the remainder of the evening without its strong presence at the net. The Spartans immediately took advantage, racing ahead with a 9-1 run to cap off the opening frame, 25-17.
Upstate's momentum continued into set two as the No. 5 ranked team in the Big South surged to a 14-2 lead before ultimately taking the frame by a final score of 25-13 to increase its lead to 2-0. The Runnin' Bulldogs then continued to battle into set three, coming within one point at 23-22 to nearly steal the third frame, but the Spartans resisted the late pressure and capped off a straight-set victory with a 25-23 final to conclude the evening.
Gardner-Webb will return to the floor on Saturday, October 30 for a pivotal home match against UNC Asheville. First serve for the Big South showdown is set for 2 p.m. inside Paul Porter Arena as the Runnin' Bulldogs celebrate Senior Day for its five seniors on the roster.
