CHARLESTON, S.C. - UNC Wilmington won sets four and five of a back-and-forth volleyball match to claim a 3-2 (18-25, 26-24, 14-25, 27-25, 15-11) victory over Charleston Southern (2-4) Tuesday, Sept. 7. The Seahawks (3-4) extended the match with a 27-25 win in set four before winning the decisive set five, 15-11.

The Lady Bucs hit .303 as a team in an evenly played match which saw both teams send down 63 kills and register six blocks. UNCW posted 66 digs to CSU's 65. CSU's kill production declined in each set after the first, while UNCW hit .216 for the match after a .435 performance in set five.

Amanda Hill led the way for CSU with a career-high 29 kills, 12 digs and three services aces. Her 29 kills were the most since Jennifer Monson had 44 kills Oct. 10, 2001 vs. Coastal Carolina. Hill is now 17 kills shy of the career record.

CSU won set three, 25-14, and aimed to close out the match in set four. Leading 11-10, the Lady Bucs went on a five-point rally. earning two blocks and receiving a kill from Hill to extend the margin to six at 16-10. UNCW chipped away at the deficit, but CSU led 18-15 after and attack error by the Seahawks. CSU took a 21-19 lead with kills by Amy Nokes and Amberle Trinder. The Seahawks fought back to tie it at 23-23, but a bad set gave the Lady Bucs a match point chance at 24-23. UNCW scored four out of the final five points to win set four, 27-25 and send the match to a fifth set.

The Lady Bucs took an early 2-0 lead in set five. However, the Seahawks responded with a four-point rally for a 4-2 advantage. Leading 8-4 at the break, UNCW controlled the fifth set the rest of the way for a 15-11 win and 3-2 victory.

For the match, Trinder and Cori Holeman recorded nine kills apiece. Amy Nokes dished out 47 assists, helping the team to a season-best hitting percentage. Tricia Rodl led with 19 digs, while Kayla Klinger posted a season-best 13 digs.

Four Seahawks entered double-figures in kills, led by Samantha Seifert with 16, while Kelli Clear posted a double-double with 14 kills and 22 digs.

CSU led from wire to wire in set one, registering 20 kills at a .444 clip. Hill led with eight kills during the initial set, while Trinder added four kills and Holeman three. The Lady Bucs broke the set open with a five-point rally to take an 18-9 lead and had many set-point opportunities at 24-15. CSU converted on a kill by Trinder to win set one, 25-18.

Set two saw the Seahawks storm out to an 8-2 lead. The Lady Bucs responded with eight straight points, receiving kills from Klinger and Hill, taking a 10-8 edge. CSU maintained a 22-18 lead before a brief UNCW surge made it 22-21. Hill sent down a kill for a 23-21 advantage. The Seahawks rallied to win the set, 26-24, scoring five out of the final six points to tie the match, 1-1.

CSU won set three convincingly, hitting .290 while holding UNCW to a -.029 proficiency. An eight-point CSU rally gave the home team a 16-8 advantage, and the Lady Bucs took a 2-1 lead with a 25-14 victory.

The Lady Bucs next travel to play at the Best Western Classic hosted by the Univ. of North Florida Friday, Sept. 10 and Saturday, Sept. 11.

Head Coach Danyel Bellush: "It was a really great match. Both teams showed incredible fight. It's just a game of momentum, and when the shift happened, we were on the losing end of it. We'll regroup. We have a lot of volleyball left this season. Give credit to Wilmington. They came out and played well."

On preparing for North Florida Tournament:
"We definitely have to work out some mental issues, as far as staying focused and playing at a certain level the entire game. We'll use that in the next couple practices, and we're going to see some great competition down there. Hopefully we come back with a few wins."

CSU vs. UNCW Highlights