WILLIAMSBURG, Ky.--- After winning two of their first three matches of the 2023 season, Asbury volleyball (2-2) faced a challenging road test on Wednesday night at the University of the Cumberlands (7-6). AU battled deep into the decisive first set but Cumberlands (UC), a team that lost only one game on their home court last season, took the match in three sets. 

Asbury junior Emma Grace Gray led all hitters with 14 kills on the evening. Sidney Haysley and Macie Pack followed with eight and seven kills for AU. 

Lucy Kate Gray produced 29 assists in the match while Riley McChord added a game-high 22 digs. Gray now has 144 assists in the first four matches of the season while McChord has added 57 digs to lead the team defensively. 

UC served an impressive 12 aces on the night, AU dropping in four of their own. Both teams were efficient offensively with UC taking a slight advantage in overall kills, 38 to 37. 

Set-by-Set Recap 

Set One
Asbury got out to an early 4-1 lead on UC's home court with back-to-back kills from Emma Grace Gray. UC responded with a five point swing to regain the lead, but AU recovered to tie things at 12-12. 

After back and forth play, Asbury used a Sidney Haysley kill to go ahead 21-20 late in the match. UC answered with six straight points to take Asbury's strongest effort of the night and go ahead 1-0. 

Set Two
UC went ahead 7-2 early in the first set, making it very difficult for the Eagles to recover. Asbury scored three consecutive points twice in the set but it wasn't enough, as UC took a 25-15 win to go up 2-0. 

Set Three
In the third set Emma Grace Gray used back-to-back kills again, this time putting AU ahead 5-3. UC responded to score eight of the next ten points, going ahead 11-7. The Patriots used the momentum to carry them into another win, giving them the match. 

Asbury moves to 2-2 after the loss and will look to return to the win column in their four-match weekeend. 


* Emma Grace Gray | 14 Kills (Game-High), 9 Digs
* Sidney Haysley | 8 Kills
* Lucy Kate Gray | 29 Assists
* Megan Walden | 22 Digs (Game-High)
* Macie Pack | 7 Kills


Asbury will play four matches this weekend in Sewanee, Tn., beginning against Greensboro College on Friday at 1 pm. 


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