Charleston Southern University Athletics
8-8,0-3Big South
Gardner-Webb
11-6,2-1Big South
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston So. | 24 | 25 | 25 | 12 | 16 | 2 |
| Gardner-Webb | 26 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 18 | 3 |
10/3/2026 7:16:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Charleston Southern volleyball battled Gardner-Webb for five sets Saturday afternoon before falling to the Runnin' Bulldogs, 2-3 (24-26, 25-19, 25-22, 12-25, 16-18), at Paul Porter Arena. The Buccaneers move to 8-8 overall and 0-3 in Big South Conference play, while Gardner-Webb improves to 11-6 overall and 2-1 in league action.
The opening set featured six ties and two lead changes, with neither team able to create much separation. Charleston Southern held leads of 4-3, 5-3 and 14-7 before Gardner-Webb rallied to even the frame late. The Buccaneers continued to fight, tying the set at 24-24, but the Runnin' Bulldogs scored the final two points to take the opener, 26-24.
CSU responded emphatically in the second set. After Gardner-Webb opened an early 5-3 advantage, the Buccaneers battled back and eventually took control behind a strong offensive stretch. Charleston Southern pulled away late, closing the frame on a 6-1 run to secure a 25-19 victory and even the match at one set apiece.
The Buccaneers carried that momentum into the third set, which featured 13 ties and 10 lead changes. Neither side led by more than two points through much of the late stages before CSU broke through. With the set tied at 20-20, Charleston Southern scored three straight points to take a 23-20 advantage and eventually closed out the set, 25-22, to move ahead 2-1.
Gardner-Webb answered with its strongest offensive set of the afternoon in the fourth, hitting .480 while committing no attack errors. The Runnin' Bulldogs jumped ahead early and never trailed, taking the frame 25-12 to force a deciding fifth set.
The fifth set lived up to the match's competitive nature, featuring eight ties and four lead changes. Gardner-Webb led 5-3 before CSU rallied to take a 6-5 advantage. The teams continued trading points, with the score tied at 12-12, 13-13, 14-14 and 15-15. Charleston Southern answered a Gardner-Webb match point to tie the set at 16-16, but the Runnin' Bulldogs secured the final two points to take the deciding set, 18-16.
Notables:
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Brynn Minter paced the Buccaneers with 18 kills, 12 digs and two service aces for a team-high 20 points.
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Faith Burch added 11 kills and two blocks.
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Emma Bednarek recorded eight kills on .313 hitting with two blocks and an ace.
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Adeline Wieler posted a team-high 16 digs in her second match as a the designated CSU libero.
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Tristin Sutton finished with 26 assists, four digs, two aces and a kill.
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Ola Matusiak added 23 assists and seven digs.
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Emersyn Reiter contributed seven kills, 10 digs and two blocks.
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Surima Akat added six kills on .357 hitting and two blocks.
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As a team, Charleston Southern finished with 58 kills, 57 assists, 61 digs and nine service aces. The Buccaneers hit .196 for the match and held Gardner-Webb to a .271 attack percentage, while the Runnin' Bulldogs finished with a 9-6 advantage in total blocks.
Up Next:
The Bucs will be back in action Friday, October 9th at USC Upstate. The match will take place at 6:00 PM at the G.B. Hodge Center and will not be broadcast on ESPN+.
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