CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Charleston Southern volleyball team opened the home portion of the Big South schedule with a resounding 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-21) win over Radford Friday, Sept. 24, in front of a lively crowd of 569 at CSU Field House. Amanda Hill entered the Big South record books, surpassing 1,600 career kills.

Competing at home for the first time since Sept. 7, CSU (6-9, 1-1 Big South) used an effective combination of defense and attack, earning nine team blocks and 67 digs while converting 46 kills at a .266 rate. Radford (6-9, 0-1) was held to 37 kills, hitting .086 for the match while collecting 61 digs.

Head Coach Danyel Bellush said, "I'm really happy with the energy that the girls had tonight, the rhythm they found. The crowd was fantastic, and we're really fortunate to play at a school with this kind of support."

Hill earned her 10th double-double of the season with 20 kills and 12 digs. She became the 10th player in Big South history with 1,600 or more kills, and now has 1,606 at CSU.

The Lady Bucs were aided by the return of junior middle blocker Crissy Skokan. Skokan earned five kills and contributed four block assists, helping to disrupt the Highlander attack.

Coach Bellush said, "Crissy was huge. What a difference-maker she was, confidence-wise, with the upperclassmen, having a veteran out there. We disrupted a lot more at the net with her being there. It was fantastic."

Cori Holeman earned seven blocks on the evening. Setter Amy Nokes nearly collected a triple-double, with nine kills, 24 assists and 10 digs. Tricia Rodl contributed 27 digs, and Kayla Klinger posted 13 digs. Rodl moved into 4th at CSU with 1,155 career digs. Laura Grace Swindler checked in with a season-high 15 assists.

"I was proud of Laura Grace as well, coming in and setting in the 5-2. For now, that's a good rhythm for us, and we'll see how tomorrow goes," Coach Bellush said.

Emily Carlin led Radford with eight kills, while Desiree Aramburu earned a double-double with 27 assists and 16 digs.

Radford claimed early momentum in set one, leading 7-3 after 10 rallies. Still trailing, 11-9, the Lady Bucs stormed into the lead with a 6-0 rally, thanks to kills by Nokes, Hill, Amberle Trinder, and a block by Trinder and Skokan. The Highlanders briefly stopped the rally, but CSU continued to build its lead, staging an additional 6-1 run. Holeman and Skokan combined for two blocks, and Hill, Skokan and Holeman each earned a kill, pushing the advantage to 21-13. The Lady Bucs lead swelled to nine points, as Trinder ended set one at 25-16 with a kill.

The second set began with the teams each earning one point on serve before a string of 14 consecutive sideouts. CSU then surged ahead, using two kills from Hill, a Nokes winner, and a Klinger-Holeman block for a 12-8 advantage. The Highlanders sliced the deficit to two points at 13-11 before CSU put the set out of reach via a 7-2 rally which made the score 20-13. Nokes earned three kills and an ace during the burst of momentum that also saw kills by Trinder, Hill and Klinger. The Lady Bucs converted their third set point chance, winning set two, 25-18, for a 2-0 lead in the match.

CSU spiked a match-high 18 kills in set three, connecting on .283 of its swings. Hill earned nine kills at .562 during the final set and Rodl added 12 third-set digs. The Highlanders and Lady Bucs battled through extended rallies, yielding a 12-12 tie midway through the set. CSU went on a 4-1 run for a 16-13 lead, but RU answered with the next three points to tie the score, 16-16. Seven rally points followed, and a Skokan kill made the score 21-19, CSU. A service error trimmed the margin to one. Hill posted then two kills, Klinger added one, and a Skokan-Holeman block sealed the match sweep with a 25-21 victory.

The Lady Bucs play host to High Point Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Buc Dome. The Panthers bring a 6-9 record into Saturday's contest, having defeated Winthrop in five sets Friday in Rock Hill.

Match Highlights