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Liberty University
Winthrop
Winthrop Edges Liberty, 3-2
10/13/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Liberty and Winthrop battled through five sets of spirited volleyball, with the visiting Eagles prevailing, 3-2 (25-23, 13-25, 25-27, 25-21, 15-12) on Friday at the Vines Center.
With the win, Winthrop improves to 13-8, including 4-3 in Big South. The Lady Flames fall to 6-14 with a 3-4 Big South record following their third consecutive loss. Liberty is 3-1 this season in conference matches that last five sets. This was the Lady Flames' third straight home match that ended in a 3-2 score.
For the match, Liberty outhit Winthrop, .213-.173. The Lady Flames outblocked the Eagles, 12-7. Winthrop led, 7-4 in aces and 73-69 in digs.
Winthrop's Phoebe Wu scored a match-high 26 kills, while Keaupono Fey added 14 kills and four blocks. Siani Yamaguchi dished out 52 assists and collected 10 digs. Jace Kleffner sent down 10 kills, while Carlie Skelton totaled a match-high 26 digs and four aces.
Anna Gragg tied her career high with 19 kills for Liberty, while posting a season-high eight blocks. Casey Goodwin contributed 12 kills and four blocks, while Amaya Williams dished out 52 assists. Margaret Latchford collected 20 assists, while Victoria Baptista recorded a career-high 18 digs. Gabrielle Vess registered her 10th career double-double, contributing 10 kills and 11 digs, while Sirena Vorster hit .429 while scoring 10 kills.
Set one featured 10 ties and five lead changes. Winthrop went on a three-point surge, going ahead, 20-16, on a Yamaguchi kill. The Lady Flames outscored their guests, 7-3, tying it at 23-23 on a Winthrop error. Wu then sent down back-to-back kills, sealing the Eagles' 25-23 victory.
During set one, Liberty outhit Winthrop, .245-.239. Wu scored seven opening-set kills, while Goodwin countered with five kills for Liberty.
After the Eagles scored the first two points of the second session, Liberty outscored them, 25-11, tying the match by winning set two, 25-13. During the stanza, Liberty hit .333, while Winthrop attacked at a .000 success rate. Anna Gragg scored five set-two kills.
Winthrop appeared on its way to a 2-1 match lead, taking a 22-18 set-three lead, capped by a Sydney Gunter kill. Jenna Culhan then scored a kill and posted a block, as Liberty rallied to within 22-21. The Eagles scored the next two points, making it 24-21. Gragg and Vess both sent down kills before a Gragg/Anna Willey block tied it at 24-24. Fey then scored for Winthrop, but Vess sparked Liberty with a kill, and the Lady Flames went on to pull out set three, 27-25.
Liberty posted five blocks during the third set, holding the Eagles to a .125 attack percentage. Gunter sent down six kills for Winthrop in set three.
The Lady Flames led 20-19, in set four, following Vorster's fourth kill of the session. Wu then tied it, 20-all, on a kill. After two Liberty errors, Goodwin narrowed the gap to 22-21 with a kill. Fey scored a kill and Hannah Lackey served up an ace, before Fey combined with Yamaguchi for the block that sealed set four, 25-21, sending the match to a fifth stanza.
Set four saw Winthrop outhit Liberty, .250-.182, as Wi scored six kills.
Winthrop led the final set, 8-7, at the side change. Back-to-back kills from Culhan and Vorster pushed Liberty ahead, 9-8. Liberty held a 10-9 edge before kills from Fey and Wu made it 11-10, Winthrop. The Lady Flames then posted a set-tying block before the Eagles scored two straight points for a 13-11 lead. After a Liberty timeout, Gragg drew Liberty to within 13-12 with a kill. Fey answered with a kill, before Tanja Neyer's solo block clinched the set and match.
During set five, the Eagles outhit Liberty, .273-.160, while also leading, 3-2, in blocks. Wu scored four fifth-set kills.
Liberty closes out its home weekend tomorrow, hosting the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at 2 p.m. at the Vines Center.
