ANDERSON, S.C. – Behind a season-high hitting percentage, Anderson blanked UVa-Wise, 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-15) in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action, Saturday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.
"We played a pretty balanced match today and got a lot of players on the court," said Anderson head coach Todd Hay. "It was great to see Maddie come in and set pretty well over the course of two sets. Now our focus must shift again to going out on the road for two tough opponents as we wrap up the first half of conference action."
Anderson improved to 11-2 overall and 8-1 in the conference, while stretching its win streak to nine matches, while UVa-Wise (1-12, 0-9 SAC), which is in its first season as a member of the SAC, suffered its 12th straight setback.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sophomore middle hitter Noelle Knutsen led all players with nine kills, with junior Kaitlyn Grube adding eight kills. Freshman Taylor Weber notched seven kills, while sophomores Maya Learmonth and Hannah Worsham each tallied six kills apiece.
Sophomore setter Madison Roy handed out a match-high 28 assists, with senior Emily Conlin dishing out 13 assists. Roy also paced the Trojans with eight digs on the afternoon. Freshman Lindsay McCurley notched seven digs and three aces, with classmate Alexandra Petrilli notching four aces. Junior defensive specialist Christina Stacy also recorded seven digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
With Weber, Wilhelm and Learmonth each posting four kills apiece, the Trojans overcame an early four-point deficit by using an 18-4 scoring outburst to build a double-digit, 19-9, advantage and went on for the 12-point win.
Second Set
Led by Kaitlyn Grube's five kills, the Trojans never trailed and steadily built a 20-13 cushion before claiming the double-digit victory.
Third Set
AU raced out to a quick 12-2 lead and never looked back, as the Black and Gold held at least an eight-point lead the rest of the way.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE MATCH
The Trojans committed just nine attack errors after committing a season-low eight miscues against Erskine last Tuesday night.
NOTABLES
• Saturday afternoon's contest marked the first meeting between the two programs.
• AU has won 11 of its last 12 outings and improved to 4-0 at the Abney Center this season.
• The Trojans extended their home win streak to 31 straight matches.
• AU has not lost at home since October, 2016.
• The Trojans' .402 hitting percentage was the highest of the season.
• Led by Petrilli's four service aces, the Trojans posted 11 aces for the second straight match. The St. Augustine, Fla., native has notched nine aces in the last two matches.
• AU improved to 4-1 in three-set matches this season.
UP NEXT
Anderson is slated to visit Catawba, Friday night in Salisbury, N.C. First-serve versus the Indians is set for 7 p.m. at Goodman Gymnasium.
