GREENVILLE, N.C. –
Audrey Gun posted a match-high nine kills on 20 attacks, but the Gardner-Webb volleyball team was unable to hand University of Texas Rio Grande Valley its first loss of the Pirate Invitational on Saturday as the Runnin' Bulldogs completed its final match before the start of conference play with a 3-1 defeat to the Vaqueros from Williams Arena inside Minges Coliseum.
Gun's nine kills accompanied one service ace as the senior outside hitter paced Gardner-Webb (3-7) with 10.0 points en route to eclipsing 100 kills for her career.
Delaney McCullough and
Makena Phillips each tallied six kills,
Hannah Donaldson added five kills and five blocks (two solo) and
Lauryn Rocassin dished out a match-high 24 assists.
Mikah McIntosh also finished with a team-leading 13 digs.
As a team, the 'Dogs hit .052 with 33 kills and 11 blocks, while 11 different players combined to register 50 digs on the afternoon. UTRGV (8-4) finished with only three more kills than GWU but hit a strong .221 to go with seven aces.
"Our depth really showed up for us today. We had a few players come in today and provide a strong spark for us," said head coach
Eric Plunkett. "As we continue to build our consistency, we are going to be a tough team to beat. It was a preseason filled with changes and adjustments, but we learned a lot. Our season now resets as we enter conference play. We are battle tested and ready to take on our first Big South opponent Tuesday at home."
UTRGV got off to a fast start, cruising to a commanding win in the opening frame, 25-11. The relentless 'Dogs then bounced back to give the Vaqueros all that they could handle in a tight second set – one that featured 21 ties and 11 lead changes – but despite forcing set point on a trio of occasions late, UTRGV managed to fend off the Runnin' Bulldogs and take a dramatic 30-28 win to go up 2-0.
Gardner-Webb once again started strong in the third frame, doubling up UTRGV early on, 10-5. But the Vaqueros once again answered, clawing back to take a lead midway through and going on to claim the straight-set victory with a 25-16 win in set three.
With its nonconference schedule now complete, Gardner-Webb turns the page towards league play beginning with its home opener this Tuesday, Sept. 21 against Radford. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. inside Paul Porter Arena.
