CHARLESTON – On Halloween day, Head Coach Carry Brown and her three-game conference win-streak VolleyBucs headed to Boiling Springs for an evening match-up against a program they had defeated just 13 days prior, the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs. CSU would again defeat GWU, this time in four sets (16-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-22).

The following Saturday afternoon, the Bucs would suit up again, this time in Rock Hill to face the Winthrop Eagles. CSU would be on the receiving end of a four-set loss on Saturday (25-21, 17-25, 15-25, 21-25).

Set one of Friday's match would be a slow start for the Bucs who the previous weekend, looked utterly unstoppable. CSU would head into the first frame's media time-out down 11-15 as GWU's Milla Lugo put down back-to-back kills. Despite scoring her team their 14th-point, the Bucs' team captain Emmy Rollins' first kill of the night would be answered with a Gardner-Webb 5-0 run. That run would put the Runnin' Bulldogs with a two-point striking distance of winning set one, and that they did. GWU star libero, Nalani McBride would set up Nicole Osborne for the final point of frame one – GWU wins 25-16.

The Bucs arrived hungry to set two as multiple VolleyBucs recorded multiple kills to start the frame. Faith Burch (2) and Emily Struckmeyer (3) would both record multiple terminations as CSU scored their first 10 points of the set. A 4-0 Buccaneer run would end set number two, 25-15, including back-to-back finalizing aces for Skylar Yates.

Two additional Yates' aces would help the Bucs to another 4-0 run to open up set three. A 5-0 spree by the home team Runnin' Bulldogs would remind CSU there was still a lot of volleyball left to be played, but a few plays later a 7-0 run by the visiting Bucs would retake the lead (16-11). Another pair of long scoring runs would make its way into the back-half of the tiebreaking third set. Gardner-Webb would strike first with a 7-0 run, including three kills for Serena Kohler. Down 23-19, Charleston Southern would answer the bell with a 6-0 run, ending set three in their favor (25-23).

The third total point of the entire evening would be a service ace for CSU senior Skylar Yates, and it was the first of many. Yates would accumulate eight service aces on the night, doubling her previous career-high and tying the Charleston Southern program record. The Hedgesville, West Virginia product currently leads the Big South Conference in the category and is only a handful away from breaking the all-time aces record for CSU. The first point of Friday's set four would be a familiar sighting, a Yates' ace. Less scoring-run heavy than the previous frame, set four was competitive from start to finish. Trailing by five late in the frame (19-14), a GWU run would pull the home team within a point of tying things up (19-18). CSU would never lose the lead though, as a 6-4 scoring series, including a concluding block by CSU's leader in the category Emma Bednarek, would earn the Bucs their fourth win in a row (25-22).

The next day, CSU would take the floor again in Rock Hill. The VolleyBucs have not won a match in the Winthrop Coliseum since 1994, but in set one of Saturday's afternoon competition, Charleston Southern would make a statement-step in that direction. Down 17-18, the Bucs would rattle off a 6-0 run, including two kills by Sophia Kluska, who had not seen the court since October 18th before Saturday. Despite Winthrop shrinking the deficit to two, CSU seniors Emily Struckmeyer and Skylar Yates would close out frame one, 25-21 – their first set win over the Eagles since 2023.

CSU attempted to replicate set one the rest of the afternoon, but would not find similar success. Despite a competitive, and eventual final, fourth set, CSU would even get 21 points on their side of the scoreboard. Although the Bucs would fight hard, the home team Eagles would post 22 separate consecutive-point scoring runs through sets two through four, defeating CSU in each and winning the match 3-1.

Notables:

• Skylar Yates not only broke her career-high Friday night with 8 service aces, she tied the school record for aces in a single match.

• Presley Morris recorded her 400th dig at Gardner-Webb Friday night. Morris is the first CSU player to record 400+ digs in a single season since 2022.

• Both CSU setters, Cara McLean and Tristin Sutton posted double-double performances against Winthrop on Saturday. McLean with 19 assists and 12 digs and Sutton with 14 assists and 11 digs.

Up Next:

The Bucs will host both the Radford Highlanders (Nov. 7) and High Point Panthers (Nov. 8) next weekend at Buccaneer Fieldhouse. The Friday contest with Radford will be played at 6:00 PM, while the match-up with High Point will be played at 3:00 PM on Saturday. Both matches are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+.

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