HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Coker University volleyball team got back on the winning track with a 3-1 victory over visiting UNC Pembroke on Tuesday (Oct. 1).
Coker opened the match with a 25-22 win in the first set. Coker jumped out to a 3-0 lead, before eventually extending its lead to 8-3. UNCP would rattle off five straight points to tie the set at eight. Coker would eventually get back in the lead at 14-12, before extending the lead to 18-12. The Braves would storm back and get within 19-18, before Coker would win seven of the final 10 points on its way to the set win.
UNCP would win the second set 25-18 to even the match at one apiece. The two teams played to an early 6-5 lead for the Braves, before UNCP would extend its lead to 11-5 to force a Coker timeout. The Braves would come out of the timeout and extend their lead as high as 18-6, before Coker won six of the next 10 points to get back within 22-14. Coker would get back within 24-18 before the Braves would finish off the second set.
Coker would take the third set 25-16 to go up 2-1 in the match. The Cobras would jump out to leads of 5-0, 8-1 and 12-3 to force a UNCP timeout. Coker would extend its lead to 18-7 and force a second UNCP timeout, before the Cobras would get to set point at 24-9. UNCP would stave off set point for six consecutive rallies, before Sierra Harvey and Emily Everton stuffed a UNCP attempt to end the set.
The Cobras would polish off the victory with a 25-17 win in the fourth set. The Cobras jumped out to a 7-1 lead to force a Braves timeout, before Coker extended its lead to 14-7 to burn UNCP's second timeout. The Cobras would maintain a lead of at least five for the remainder of the set, as UNCP got back within 21-16. Coker would polish off the set and the match with a kill from Olivia Cerick, an ace from Emily Everton and two UNCP errors.
Coker hit .164 as a team on the night, totaling 50 kills. Everton posted a team-high 18 kills on the night, while Taylor du Bray also finished with 14 kills in the match. Coker also got kills from Harvey (eight), Cerick (five), Chelsey Blume (three), Rami Mullen (one) and Payton Jackson (one). Ashley Carson posted a team-high 29 assists on the night, while Mullen also finished with eight. Camryn Tate added five assists in the match, while Everton added two and Blume and du Bray each had one assist. Tate led the team with 18 digs on the night, while Cerick added 14 and Mullen and Carson each posted 11. Coker also received contributions from Everton (eight), du Bray (six), Maddie Gardner (three), Harvey (two) and Jackson (one). Harvey led the blocking effort with five block assists on the night, while Blume, Cerick and du Bray each posted three and Everton and Jackson each added one.
The Cobras are back on their home court on Friday (Oct. 4) to face Lenoir-Rhyne in South Atlantic Conference action. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.
McDonald's Player of the Game - Emily Everton