CHARLESTON – Tuesday evening, Charleston Southern volleyball returned to their home floor for a match-up with a program they played against just ten days prior, the South Carolina State Bulldogs. This would be the 66th all-time meeting between the two institutions roughly 60 miles apart.
The match would begin with a 5-0 CSU run. A 10-1 moments later would present the Bucs with a 16-4 lead in set number one. A kill and ace by Emma Bednarek would account for points number 23 and 25 as CSU would take the match's first set 25-10.
A 12-3 opening to set number two would not tell the whole story of the match's second period. An 8-1 run for the Bulldogs would answer the Bucs with the set eventually being tied at 16. Two SCSU attacking errors would extend the gap once again to five points as CSU would lead the set 23-18. Down five later in set two, a 5-0 run by the Bulldogs would tie the score again at 23. The teams would trade kills until the Bucs would lead the way 27-26. A service ace by CSU's leader in the category, Skylar Yates, would seal set two 28-26.
A competitive third set would feature 13 ties and lead changes. A 5-1 SCSU run would give the Bulldogs their ninth set win of the season (25-19).
Kills by Buccaneer upperclassmen, Skylar Yates, Emma Bednarek, Emmy Rollins, Emily Struckmeyer, and Faith Burch would lead the Bucs to a 13-8 lead in the match's fourth set. A 10-2 run would set the score to 24-13 in favor of CSU. Head Coach Carry Brown's eventual Player of the Match selection, Faith Burch would record the game winning kill and match win (25-14).
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Notables:
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The match against SCSU would be the Bucs' 7th win of the 2025 season – a win total it took the 2024 VolleyBucs an entire season to achieve.
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Skylar Yates has now entered the Top-5 in CSU volleyball history in Career Service aces (119).
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Presley Morris recorded her 500th career dig against the Bulldogs Tuesday evening.
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Cara McLean's 5 service aces Tuesday evening mark a new career-high for the freshman and is the most aces by any Buccaneer in a single match so far this season.
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As a team, the Bucs' 15 service aces is tied for 5th most all-time in a single match.
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Up Next:
Charleston Southern will begin Big South Conference play in just three days in Clinton, South Carolina against the Presbyterian Blue Hose. The Blue Hose ended the 2024 VolleyBucs playoff hopes. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+ at 6:00 PM on September 26th.Â
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