RALEIGH, N.C. In a rematch with the Avenging Angels of Meredith College, the Methodist volleyball team toughed out a five-set victory away from home on Wednesday evening. The Monarchs totaled a season-high 67 kills during the win.
Final scores: Methodist def. Meredith, 3–2 (23–25, 25–23, 19–25, 25-23, 15-13)
Records: Methodist 12–14 (7–7 USA South), Meredith 15–10 (9–6 USA South)
Location: Weatherspoon Gymnasium; Raleigh, North Carolina
How It Happened
The Avenging Angels put together a six-point run early to take a 7–2 lead in the first set.
Addison Johnson and
Jamie Holton each totaled three kills during the set, but the Monarchs were unable to completely catch up.
Set two saw back-and-forth runs for both teams. Johnson tallied three kills across Methodist's first six points. With the Monarchs trailing 9–7,
Savannah Hovander logged three straight kills, then Holton collected kills on three of the next four points. A
Mary Miller ace gave Methodist a 21–13 advantage, and following a Meredith timeout, the Avenging Angels took eight of the next 11 points to make the score 24–21. With his team needing just one point, Methodist head coach
Eddie Matthews took a timeout, then burned another one after two consecutive Meredith points made the score 24–23. With the pressure on, Holton claimed the final kill needed to win the set — her sixth kill of the set.
Meredith controlled the entire third set, never letting the Monarchs see the lead. The Avenging Angels went ahead 4–1 in the fourth, but a four-point Methodist run gave the Monarchs their first advantage since the second set. The score remained tight until two straight Meredith attack errors made the score 16–13 in favor of Methodist. Meredith came back and repeatedly tied the score, all the way to 23–23. After a service error gave the Monarchs the edge, Hovander served up an ace to force a fifth set.
With the score tied at 6–6, the Monarchs put together a four-point run that started with a kill from Hovander followed by three straight from Johnson. The Avenging Angels tied the score at 13–13, but Holton completed her 20-kill night with back-to-back slams for the win.
Highlights
Holton and Hovander each recorded season highs in kills with 20 and 17 respectively.
Railyn Fowler matched her season high with 10 kills.
Charleigh Anne Hewett and
Faith Driver evenly split time at the setter position in the 6–2 formation, totaling 60 assists (31 for Hewett and a season-high 29 for Driver).
The Monarchs won in spite of the fact that they had a lower hitting percentage (.223) than the Avenging Angels (.234).
Up Next
The Monarchs will be in Staunton, Virginia, on Friday for a USA South tri-match with Brevard University and host Mary Baldwin University at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
