CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Charleston Southern VolleyBucs got back on the team bus this Friday for another weekend roadtrip of Big South conference play. Their first destination was one that many questioned the feasibility of earlier in the season. CSU's Friday night match was on the road against UNC Asheville, but due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene, the thought of playing in Asheville's home Justice Center seemed like a figment of hopeful imagination just a few weeks ago. That was until the Bulldogs received word that their gym was safe to compete in just days before the November 1st match against the Bucs. After 52 days away from home, the UNC Asheville Bulldogs were back home.
A roughty and energized fan base who were happy to be cheering on their Bulldogs at home, the wooden ceiling of the intimate Justice Center, and a Bulldog volleyball squad that was excited to be competing on their home hardwood all contributed to what was one of, if not solely, the most electric volleyball environment in the Big South.
Asheville began the match with what seemed like 52 days of built up momentum, taking the first set 25-18. The Bucs, led by Head Coach Carry Brown, showed consistent improvement in each of the match's sets. In the second set, CSU came a bit closer, losing 25-20.
The third set was simultaniously the best and worst set for the VolleyBucs. The team's energy and performance after the five minute intermission was noticeably improved. CSU exploded to a 21-18 lead. Unfortunately, the Bucs' effort to stay alive did not possess more strength than Asheville's desire to storm their home floor in almost two months. The Bulldogs took the final set 25-23.
Spartanburg, S.C. is where CSU would travel to after leaving the Justice Center. A match against the Spartans of USC Upstate awaited the Bucs Saturday afternoon.
Before set one of the Upstate dual, the Spartans would celebrate their Senior volleyball student-athletes, and as part of the ceremony, recognized CSU's one graduating team member, Savannah Freeman, and gifted her a rose. Not only is Freeman CSU's one graduating member, she is also a native of the Spartanburg area, which made the moment even more special.
After hugs were exchanged and family photos taken, it was time for some volleyball. Similar to Asheville's Justice Center, USC Upstate's G.W. Hodge Center shared the combination of being an intimate venue packed full of home team energy.
The first match closely resembled the initial set of the Asheville match the night before, and was only one point away from being an exact copy (25-19). The second set was a fun one. A group of Upstate students, known as the Spartan Army, did their due dillegence of heckling the Buccaneer players and staff in a way that clearly showed their passion for their school of choice, while also remaining respectful and harmless. Since the competing teams switch sides between each set, the second set of the match was when the Bucs were granted the privilege of sitting directly in front of the Army of Sparta(nburg). Efficient hitting the by Buccaneers, combined with limited defensive errors, earned the Bucs the 25-21 set win and a tied ball game.
The match's third set showed flashes of elite performance as the Bucs closed a five-point deficit late in the round. With a 22-22 score and the Bucs with the ball, a costly service error would crush the CSU momentum and Upstate would leave the third set victorious (25-23). The energy would carry over into the fourth, and Upstate's seniors would get to adequately celebrate their day with a 3-1 victory over Charleston Southern.
Over the weekend, Faith Burch (21) and Sophia Kluska (22) would lead the roster in kills. Their hitting efficiency is not only what kept them on the floor, but what allowed the volume of kills they recorded. Burch posted a .286 attacking percenting on the weekend, while Kluska was not far behind with a .246. Out of Kluska's 22 total kills, 14 were recorded in the match against Upstate, setting a new career best for the Olney, Maryland outside hitter.
Team captain, Emily Struckmeyer added 14 kills and an impressive .310 attacking percentage to the Bucs' offensive effort. Skylar Yates aided the Bucs both in the front and back rows, adding 15 kills and 18 digs to the weekend's box scores. The oneÂ
setting up all the attacks, none other than the Italian, Ilaria Durante. Durante dished out 73 assists on the weekend. The squad's sole libero for the two matches, Julia Fledderjohn led the team in digs with 32, and also dishes out 11 assists of her own between the two competitions. Savannah Freeman, the Spartanburg native, put down 7 kills in her individual homecoming as well.
With only three matches remaining in the regular season, the Bucs return home next week for a pair of matches next weekend. They will host the High Point Panthers on Friday night at 6 PM, and the Radford Highlanders on Saturday at 6:30 PM.
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