CHARLESTON, S.C. – Outside hitter Kylee Garrison and middle blocker Delaney McCullough powered the offense with a combined 27 kills, and the Runnin' Bulldogs finished with their second-highest hitting percentage of the season, but the Gardner-Webb University volleyball team (7-17; 4-10 Big South) was unable to spoil Charleston Southern University's (9-15; 5-9 Big South) final home match of the year as the 'Dogs fell to the Buccaneers in four sets on Saturday, 3-1.
 
Garrison posted a team-high 16 kills on 40 attacks, while McCullough hit a strong .409 and also finished in double figures with 11 kills and a team-leading four blocks (two solo). The duo of Garrison and McCullough accounted for all but nine kills on the afternoon for Gardner-Webb.
 
Tori Weatherley paced GWU with 30 assists and finished just two digs shy of notching her third double-double in the last four matches. Reigning Big South Conference Libero of the Week Mikah McIntosh finished with a team-high 12 digs and Audrey Gun added a pair of service aces for the 'Dogs.
 
While they managed to produce at an effective rate on offense, the Runnin' Bulldogs struggled to contain Charleston So. on defense as the Bucs notched season-high marks in kills (66) and hitting percentage (.406).
 
A slow start plagued the Runnin' Bulldogs as CSU raced to a 25-13 set-one win, but Gardner-Webb would respond in set two with one of its best offensive frames on the road this season. Garrison exploded for nine kills alone in the second set, her final of which came on set point, and McCullough added six kills of her own as the 'Dogs recorded a .406 team hitting percentage on 16 kills and only three attack errors to even the match at 1-1.
 
Despite another strong showing in the third set with nine kills on .222 hitting, Gardner-Webb was unable to translate its momentum gained in set two to the remainder of the match. Regaining its prior groove from the day's opening frame, Charleston So. piled on with 17 kills in what would ultimately become the final two games, using its strong play to take down GWU by scores of 25-18 in set three and 25-17 in set four.
 
Gardner-Webb's second-set victory on Saturday was its first winning set on the road this season. The loss, however, drops the Runnin' Bulldogs to 0-10 away from Paul Porter Arena in 2021.
 
After starting the season at 6-8, the 'Dogs are just 1-9 in their last 10 matches since after suffering a rash of injuries to a trio of key players in which has kept them off the court for the majority of the conference season.
 
With the regular season coming to a close, Gardner-Webb will head into its final two matches of the 2021 slate on the road next week. The Runnin' Bulldogs will face off at Winthrop University in midweek action on Wednesday, November 10 at 6 p.m. before heading to Radford University for the regular-season finale against the Highlanders on Saturday, November 13 at 2 p.m.