WILMORE, Ky. – Asbury volleyball (13-10, 5-5 CCS) used an efficient offensive attack and strong opening sets to defeat Piedmont (13-13, 3-9 CCS), 3-1, on Friday evening inside the Luce Center.
The Eagles took the match 25-9, 25-15, 19-25, 25-21.
Asbury finished the night with 48 kills while hitting .248 as a team, holding Piedmont to a .085 attacking percentage. The Eagles also collected 63 digs, 43 assists and seven service aces.
AU came out firing in the first set, jumping ahead 6-0 behind two service aces from Isabelle VandeSchraaf. Later in the frame, Sara Beth Gray helped spark a dominant Asbury run that stretched the advantage from 13-8 to 22-8. The Eagles finished off the opening set, 25-9, while hitting .450 with 10 kills and just one attacking error.
The Eagles carried their momentum into the second set. After trailing 4-1 early, Asbury responded with nine consecutive points to take a 10-4 advantage. Sophie Glushchak supplied three kills during the run as AU went on to take the set, 25-15. Asbury hit .310 with 13 kills in the second frame.
Piedmont answered in the third, pulling away from a 12-11 advantage to build a 22-13 lead. Asbury battled back late, scoring six more points before the Lions closed the set, 25-19, to extend the match.
AU regained control in the fourth. With the score tied at 5-5, the Eagles won five straight points, highlighted by kills from Emma Dean and Megan Schelling along with a Julia Wright service ace. Asbury later extended the margin to 24-17 before Piedmont made a late push. The Eagles closed out the match, 25-21, to secure the four-set conference victory.
Sophie Glushchak led the Asbury attack with 12 kills on just 23 attempts and a .478 hitting percentage. Isabelle VandeSchraaf added nine kills, 13 digs and two service aces, while Aliah Jones recorded seven kills on 11 swings for a team-best .545 hitting percentage.
Julia Wright led AU with 20 assists and added five digs and an ace, while Sara Beth Gray contributed 19 assists, four digs and two aces. Lilly Cowing anchored the defense with a team-high 17 digs.
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Sophie Glushchak | 12 K, .478 PCT, 1 BS
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Isabelle VandeSchraaf | 9 K, 13 DIG, 2 SA
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Aliah Jones | 7 K, .545 PCT, 1 BS
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Julia Wright | 20 AST, 5 DIG, SA
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Sara Beth Gray | 19 AST, 4 DIG, 2 SA
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Lilly Cowing | 17 DIG
The team welcomes Huntingdon College to the Luce Center in Wilmore, Ky., on Sat., Oct. 31 at 12 PM.
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