CHARLESTON – Saturday afternoon, Charleston Southern would host and defeat the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs in five sets (18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-18, 15-11).

After a strong showing Friday evening, junior Buccaneer Faith Burch carried her momentum into Saturday's match, recording multiple kills in the opening set. However, Gardner-Webb's 4-0 start and 6-0 finish proved decisive, handing Charleston Southern a 25-18 loss in set one.

Facing another deficit in set two, the Bucs responded with a 4-0 run to take a 10-9 lead. The teams traded points through the middle of the frame, before CSU pulled away with an 8-2 run—highlighted by three kills from Skylar Yates—to take the set 25-21.

Set three opened as a tightly contested battle, with Gardner-Webb holding a slim 9-8 lead. The Runnin' Bulldogs then surged ahead with a 5-0 run, including two kills by Serena Kohler. But CSU, determined to respond after Friday's loss, mounted three separate 3-0 runs to reclaim an 18-17 lead. However, Gardner-Webb regained control with a 6-0 run of their own and never looked back, winning the set 25-22.

Down 2-1 in the match and looking to avoid a five-match losing streak, Charleston Southern inserted team captain Emmy Rollins into the starting lineup for set four. The graduate outside hitter made an immediate impact, recording two kills and two service aces within CSU's first ten points in the period. Rollins led the Bucs on an 11-3 run to enter the media timeout leading 15-9. A kill by Skylar Yates—who led CSU with 17 on the afternoon—sealed the 25-18 set win.

In their first fifth-set match of Big South Conference play, CSU carried all the momentum. The Buccaneer duo of Cara McLean and Emily Struckmeyer connected to give Charleston Southern a 10-8 lead. With the score tied at 11, Rollins once again delivered, notching a kill and a service ace to push the Bucs ahead 13-11. CSU would put the final two nails in the Runnin' Bulldog-sized coffin for the 15-11 victory – their 11th of the season.
 

Notables:

• Skylar Yates recorded her 1,000th career dig against Gardner-Webb. She currently has 1,011 in her career.

• Oliwia Durka recorded her 100th kill of her single season Buccaneer career Saturday afternoon. She currently has 101 on the year.

• Freshman Cara McLean recorded the 300th assist of her collegiate career. She currently ranks second on the team in the total assist category this season.

• Emmy Rollins broke her career-high in both the dig (6) and service ace (4) categories.

Up Next:

CSU will host another weekend of Big South volleyball starting October 24th when they host the USC Upstate Spartans for the Bucs' Alumni Appreciation Night. The match is slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ at 6:00PM.

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