Liberty University
8-9, 3-2Big South
Winthrop
8-12, 0-5Big South
Late Heroics Spur Liberty's 3-2 Victory Over Winthrop
10/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Liberty scored the final three points of set five to claim a 3-2 (25-16, 25-15, 24-26, 17-25, 15-12) victory over Winthrop, Saturday at the Vines Center.
The Lady Flames (8-9, 3-2 Big South) led the match, 2-0, before the Eagles (8-12, 0-5) rallied to force a decisive fifth set. With the win, Liberty extends its winning streak to three matches.
Liberty outhit Winthrop, .280 to .168, for the match, although the Eagles held a 64-57 advantage in kills. The Lady Flames posted 15 blocks, compared to six for Winthrop, while both teams collected 56 digs.
Leah Clayton led all players with a career-high 22 kills, adding 17 digs and four blocks. Clayton's 22 kills were the most by a Liberty true freshman since Jennifer Belk scored 28 kills against Coastal Carolina, Nov. 15, 2001. Gabrielle Vess sent down 13 kills in addition to posting four blocks. Anna Gragg totaled eight kills and seven blocks, while Anna Willey registered a double-double with a match-high 46 assists and 10 digs. Margaret Latchford recorded two aces and 13 digs.
Winthrop's Brianna Gray sent down 13 kills, while Keaupono Fey and Emma Weakland scored 11 kills apiece. Sydney Gunter recorded 10 kills, while Siani Yamaguchi dished out 37 assists. Mallary McFadden collected a match-high 19 digs and Hannah Lackey corralled 14 digs.
Liberty turned a tight, 11-10, first set into a rout, thanks in a part to a 5-0 Lady Flames rally. The hosts continued to pull away, winning set one, 25-16. Clayton led the way for Liberty during the opening session, scoring seven kills at a .417 pace. Liberty connected to the tune of a .324 hitting percentage, while Winthrop hit .081.
The Lady Flames continued their hot hitting in the second session, once again extending their lead late on the way to a 25-15 set victory. Liberty outscored the Eagles, 11-3, down the stretch to take a 2-0 match lead. Vess and Winthrop's Weakland scored four kills apiece. The hosts hit .310, compared to -.028 for the visitors.
Winthrop led set three, 19-14, following a kill by Fey. Liberty scored the next four points, drawing to within one at 19-18 on a block by Gragg and Vess. The Lady Flames pulled into the lead, 23-22, after their sixth block of the set. Gunter then sent down a kill, sparking a 4-1 Winthrop rally to a 26-24 victory.
Liberty outhit the Eagles, .294-.270, during the third session, and the Lady Flames added six blocks.
The Eagles rallied from a 13-10 deficit in set four, outscoring Liberty, 15-4 to claim the stanza, 25-17 and force a decisive fifth set. Gunter scored six set-four kills for Winthrop, who outhit Liberty, .412-.333.
Winthrop held an 8-6 lead at the court change in the fifth set after a Gray solo block. The Eagles still led, 10-9, before Clayton scored a kill and Latchford served up an ace. After four rally points, Vess blocked Weakland to give Liberty a 14-12 lead. Clayton then scored the match-winner on a back-row attack.
Latchford recorded two service aces for the Lady Flames in set five, while Clayton scored four kills. Liberty held a .120-.087 advantage in hitting percentage.
Liberty will close out its three-match homestand on Monday night, hosting Campbell at 7 p.m. at the Vines Center.
