CLEMSON, S.C. – Charleston Southern volleyball battled through five tightly contested sets Sunday afternoon, ultimately defeating Butler, 3-2 (25-27, 25-20, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12), at Jervey Gym.
The Buccaneers improved to 2-1 on the season with the victory, while the Bulldogs fell to 2-1. The neutral-site contest featured 33 ties and 14 lead changes throughout the five-set battle.
Charleston Southern opened the match with a strong offensive showing, collecting 15 kills in the first set while hitting .214. The Buccaneers held a 24-23 advantage late in the frame, but Butler answered with four of the next five points to claim the opening set, 27-25.
The Bucs responded emphatically in the second set. Charleston Southern never trailed after breaking a 12-12 tie, using an 8-2 run to build a 20-14 advantage before closing out the set, 25-20. The Buccaneers added another 15 kills in the frame while limiting Butler to a .135 hitting percentage.
Butler regained the advantage in the third set, but the Bucs remained within striking distance throughout. After the Bulldogs took a 17-13 lead, Charleston Southern battled back to make it a two-point contest at 23-21. Butler ultimately held on for a 25-23 win and took a 2-1 lead in the match.
Facing another must-win set, Charleston Southern delivered its strongest defensive effort of the afternoon in the fourth. The Bucs turned a 10-10 tie into an 18-12 advantage, highlighted by a pair of aces from Brynn Minter. Charleston Southern maintained control the rest of the way, closing out the set, 25-19, to force a decisive fifth frame.
The Bucs carried that momentum into the fifth set. After Butler opened with a 2-0 lead, Charleston Southern answered with eight consecutive points to take an 8-3 advantage. The Bulldogs fought back, eventually pulling within 11-9, but the Bucs remained composed down the stretch. Charleston Southern reached match point at 14-12 before an Emersyn Reiter kill, assisted by Tristin Sutton, sealed the 15-12 victory.
Notables:
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Faith Burch led the Charleston Southern attack with 17 kills on 36 attempts, hitting .361, while adding three block assists for 18.5 points.
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Brynn Minter followed with 14 kills, five aces and four block assists, finishing with a team-high 21.5 points.
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Kylee Roberts contributed eight kills and four aces, while Tristin Sutton orchestrated the offense with a team-best 35 assists.
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Charleston Southern finished with 63 kills, 15 service aces and nine total blocks as a team. The Bucs also received 17 digs from Presley Morris, 13 from Minter and 11 from Adeline Wieler.
Up Next:
Thursday, September 3rd, Charleston Southern will take on South Carolina State at 3:00 PM during day one of the Lowcountry Volleyball Championship hosted by The Citadel.
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