BOX SCORE
The fifth-seeded High Point University volleyball team dropped a five set thriller to the fourth-seeded Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big South Championship in Radford, Va. After falling behind 2-1 the Panthers win set four to force a fifth frame. The Chanticleers narrowly edged HPU 15-13 in the fifth set to advance to the Big South semifinals.
“They put their hearts in to it and that is all I can ask,” said head coach Jason Oliver. “Coastal made a couple plays at the end to beat us. I am really proud of the character of our team and the resiliency of our senior class.”
Junior
Stephanie Wallin (Plymouth, Minn., Robbinsdale Armstrong) led HPU with 17 kills and three blocks and
Courtney Johnk (Larkspur, Calif., Redwood) added 14 kills. Junior
Megan Smith (Bellbrook, Ohio, Bellbrook) had double-double with 14 kills and 17 digs and sophomore setter
Holly Fong (Sebastopol, Calif., El Molino) came up with 54 assists.
The Chanticleers jumped out to a 20-13 lead in the first set but High Point battled back with an 9-2 run to come within one at 23-22.
Anna Lott (Lincoln, Neb., Lincoln Northeast) and Fong put up a block to tie the score at 23-23 but Coastal scored the final two points on an HPU attack error and a kill by Sierra Livesay to win the set 25-23.
In the second set High Point took a 20-16 lead on a kill by Wallin. HPU had set point at 24-18 but the Chanticleers fought off two set points before Wallin had her ninth kill of the match to give High Point the set 25-20.
The Chanticleers took set three 26-24. A kill from
Megan Kaminskas (Flagstaff, Ariz., Flagstaff) tied the set at 24-24. CCU’s Livesay answered with a kill and Megan Bickford had a service ace to give Coastal the 26-24 set win.
In the fourth Johnk had six kills to lead HPU to a 25-21 set win. High Point controlled the set, outhitting CCU .135 to .044. to force a fifth set.
In the final frame High Point recovered from a 8-12 deficit to come within one point at 12-13 on a Coastal attack error. A service error by High Point gave CCU match point, 14-12 but Wallin had a kill to keep the match alive. But Coastal won the match on a net error by Lott to advance to the Big South semifinals.
High Point finished the season 17-17 (6-10 BSC) under first year head coach Jason Oliver.