WISE, Va. – Paced by sophomore Jaelyn Grimm's career-high 11 kills, the Anderson University volleyball team opened South Atlantic Conference play with a four-set, 3-1 (25-13, 20-25, 25-11, 25-14) win over UVA Wise, Friday night at the David J. Prior Convocation Center.
Anderson (6-3, 1-0 SAC) stayed perfect in three meetings with the Cavaliers with its fourth win in five outings, while UVA Wise fell to 2-6 overall and 0-3 in conference action with its fourth loss in five decisions.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Grimm led all players with her 11 kills, while posting a .391 hitting percentage. Sophomore Tabitha Wheeler nearly posted her first double-double of the season after knocking down a season-high nine kills and adding 15 digs. Senior right-side hitter Regan Duty, the reigning SAC Offensive Player of the Week, added eight kills on a .533 hitting percentage, while senior middle blocker Noelle Knutsen also tallied eight kills behind a stellar .444 attacking accuracy.
Senior outside hitter Liliana Kinder tallied a season-best eight kills on the strength of a .400 attack percentage, with junior setter Madison Roy recording a match-best 44 assists and chipping in a season-high 14 digs for her fourth double-double of the campaign. Senior Meghan DeVaux came up with a match-high 18 digs, while freshman Hannah Neff garnered nine digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Led by the sophomore duo of Wheeler and Sadie Kluner's four kills and a .394 hitting percentage, the Trojans climbed out of an early 5-2 hole and later used a 12-3 scoring outburst to claim a comfortable, 18-11, advantage on a kill from Neff.
AU built a late double-digit lead en route to the 12-point win.
Second Set
Grimm and Knutsen combined for five kills, but beset by five attack errors, the Trojans hit just .195 in the second frame.
AU pushed out to a 13-9 lead on a kill from Neff, but the Cavaliers countered with four unanswered points to knot the score for the fifth of seven times during the set. UVA Wise then snapped a 16-16 deadlock with a 6-2 surge, as the Cavaliers took the five-point victory.
Third Set
Behind Kinder's five kills and with Grimm adding four kills, the Trojans bounced back with a vengeance, as the Black and Gold posted a .515 attack accuracy – with 18 kills and just one error in 41 swings.
AU led wire-to-wire after bolting out to a 15-6 lead on a kill from Kinder and outscored UVA Wise by five the rest of the way.
Fourth Set
AU stayed hot with a .320 hitting percentage and carried the momentum over into the final frame. Duty led the Trojans with four kills, while Kinder and Neely Shugart each added three kills apiece.
Shugart's first kill of the night gave the Trojans an 11-3 cushion and they went on to build a double-digit, 18-8, lead before closing with a 7-6 run.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
The Trojans' .348 hitting percentage marked their third-highest accuracy of the season.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans improved to 3-0 against the Cavaliers in the brief all-time series.
• Roy has reached the 40+ dig plateau six times this season and has notched four double-doubles.
• Meghan DeVaux has tallied double-figure digs on six occasions, including five straight.
• Hannah Neff has garnered nine digs in five matches, including two straight.
UP NEXT
Anderson will get back on the court quickly when the Trojans visit league-leading Tusculum, Saturday afternoon. First-serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Pioneer Arena.
