HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Following a nine-day layoff, the Limestone University women's volleyball team had to shake off the rust after spotting Coker University the opening set to collect its first road win of the 2021 campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 decision on Thursday, October 21 in South Atlantic Conference action.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Limestone 3, Coker 1
Set Scores: 23-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-20
Records: Limestone (7-9, 4-7), Coker (3-18, 1-13)
Location: DeLoach Center
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Freshman Josie Curran (Westerville, Ohio) rocked 17 kills for a .382 attack percentage
• Senior Madysen Williams (Antioch, Tenn.) added a double-double with 12 kills and 16 digs
• Senior Vanessa Blas (Concord, N.C.) finished with 11 kills and a pair of assisted blocks
• Freshman Paige Gardella (Sugar Grove, Ill.) handed out 29 assists to go with six digs
• Junior Abbey Baker (Rock Hill, S.C.) tallied 19 assists and three digs for the Saints
• Senior Gabby Wessels (Watseka, Ill.) logged 19 digs and an assist
• Senior Madyson Lousignont (Las Vegas, Nev.) chipped in four assisted blocks and a solo stop
• Senior Madeline Yeager (Sacramento, Calif.) also posted a solo block and four block assists
• Junior Leilani Wilcox Nanai (Christchurch, New Zealand) had eight kills and a total of two blocks
• Senior Bailey Carpenter (Lawrenceville, Ga.) tacked on eight digs and two assists
• Limestone hit .235 as a team while limiting Coker to a .154 attack percentage
• The Saints and Cobras both combined for 13 team blocks on the night

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Set
 
Following a long rally to begin the evening, a soft touch from Yeager and a massive swing by Williams gave Limestone an early 3-1 lead. The Cobras climbed to within 5-4, but back-to-back kills from Blas and a solo stuff by Wilcox Nanai powered a quick 4-0 spurt for the Saints as the visitors claimed a 9-4 margin.
 
Coker fought back behind a 6-2 run, trimming the advantage to 11-10, but a service error by the home team and a pair of attacks by Williams allowed the Blue and Gold to take six of the next 10 points to make it 17-13. The Cobras would not go away as a 5-2 surge closed the gap to 19-18, but big swings from Curran and Blas highlighted a 3-1 counterattack as the Saints moved ahead, 22-19, a few moments later.
 
Limestone was not able to make that lead hold up, however, as Coker rallied to win the opening set, 25-23, closing out the frame on a 6-1 run. The Cobras took their first lead at 24-23 to grab a 1-0 match lead.  
 
Second Set
 
The Cobras jumped out to leads of 2-0 and 3-1 in the second, but Williams put up a solo block, a pair of kills, and then an ace as Limestone evened things up at 5-all. The Saints moved in front, 8-6, on two straight errors, but Coker would use a 5-0 spurt over the next couple of minutes to regain the lead, 11-8.
 
Attacks by Blas and Curran powered a quick 4-1 run as the Blue and Gold again tied the set, 12-all, but the Cobras pulled out to a 16-14 edge at the midway point. Limestone would power ahead behind six unanswered points, using kills from Lousignont and Wilcox Nanai during that stretch to make it 20-16.
 
Coker managed to battle back and twice made it a 1-point affair in the late going, but Limestone evened the match at 1-set apiece with a 25-22 set win. Wessels would tally a service ace to help close the deal.
 
Third Set
 
A monstrous swing by Curran allowed the Saints to jump out to a 3-0 lead in the third set, but the Cobras countered with three straight points to tie things up early on. Limestone then used a long 11-7 stretch over the next several minutes, bookended by kills from Curran and Lousignont, to move in front, 14-10. Coker would still refuse to back down, responding with eight of the next 13 points to close to within 19-18.
 
Another kill by Curran and a solo stop from Lousignont put to rest any thoughts of another Coker rally before an attack by Williams staked the Saints to a 22-18 lead. Williams then put Limestone at set point before the visitors grabbed a 2-1 match lead as Curran applied the final touches on a 25-21 third-set win.
 
Fourth Set
 
Limestone came out of the gates in the fourth set on fire, racing out to an 8-0 advantage behind three kills from Blas and a pair of block assists by Yeager. The Cobras broke the goose egg, but Curran registered two massive blows before kills by Wilcox Nanai and Williams staked the Blue and Gold to a 14-5 cushion.
 
The Saints remained in control late as a kill by Wilcox Nanai and two attacks from Blas made it 18-10, but Coker still had fight left as it responded with a quick 4-0 run to cut the margin to four. Two kills by Curran and a kill and a block assist by Lousignont would put Limestone at match point, 24-16, and even though the Cobras made one final push, Williams clinched the first road win of the year for the Saints with a kill.
 
TURNING POINT
 
Shaking off the rust following a nine-day layoff in its schedule, Limestone rebounded after spotting Coker an opening set win despite a late lead. The Saints rallied in the second set to even the match, held off a late Coker charge in the third to take a 2-1 match lead, before running away with the deciding fourth set.
 
NOTABLES
 

• Although they won their first road game of the season, the Saints are 2-1 in neutral site matches
• Limestone swept the season series from Coker with identical 3-1 decisions
• Williams tallied her second straight double-double and her fifth of the season
• Gardella has handed out at least 25 assists in each of her last three matches
• Lousignont and Yeager both set or match season highs with four assisted blocks
• Wessels has recorded double-digit digs in nine consecutive matches

 
UP NEXT
 
Limestone continues its season-long five match road trip when it travels to take on regional powerhouse Wingate University in league action on Saturday, October 23 at 2 p.m.