SALISBURY, N.C. --- Ashley Sarmiento recorded a double-double with 36 assists and 10 digs to lead the Tusculum College volleyball team to a 3-0 win over host Catawba College Friday night in South Atlantic Conference action at Goodman Gym.
The Pioneers (18-4, 12-1 SAC), ranked No. 3 in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region, complete the season sweep over the Catawba Indians (9-12, 4-9 SAC), while also establishing a new school record for most SAC wins in a season (12).
Tusculum, which won the match by scores of 25-21, 25-15, 25-22, will travel to Wingate University on Saturday for a 2 p.m. match against the league-leading Bulldogs (20-1, 13-0 SAC). TC has won its seven conference matches and will be looking to avenge its only SAC setback of the year when the Pioneers and Bulldogs meet.
Tusculum's Allyson Ray had a solid outing as she recorded a team-high 11 kills, two blocks and a .500 hitting percentage (11-1-20). Sam Underwood nearly missed a double-double with nine kills and a dozen digs, while freshman Caitlyn Dean accounted for 21 digs in the victory.
Catawba's Shay Meeks posted a match-high 16 kills, while Kaitlyn Whitmer finished with 11 kills and eight digs. Setter Jordan Raye tallied a double-double with 37 assists and 13 digs, while Jenny Young and Lainey Edwards recorded 25 and 12 digs, respectively.
Tusculum led wire-to-wire in the opening set, paced by an ace from Underwood and two kills by Ray during a 7-2 run as the Pioneers went on top, 15-10. Catawba pulled within 18-16 on a kill by Whitmer, but kills by Alyssa Raterman and Ray returned the lead to 21-16. Kills by Meeks and Raye cut the Pioneer lead to 23-20 then Underwood killed down the final two Pioneer points to take the frame, 25-21.
The Pioneers surged ahead in the second set thanks to a 9-1 run, including four straight points on Dean's serve to take a 17-9 advantage. Ray had two kills in the TC spurt and added a block and a kill to help up the margin to 20-11. Rookie Rhayne Smitherman recorded a kill on set-point as TC won 25-15.
In the third set, Tusculum utilized a 5-1 run to move out to a 13-8 advantage following a Ray kill. But Catawba put together a rally late in the frame. With TC leading 21-17, Catawba scored three straight points thanks to a kill by Alli Parrish and consecutive blocks to trim the TC lead to 21-20. Underwood added a pair of kills down the stretch, while Raterman and Bailee Price tallied the final two points of the match with kills for the Pioneer victory.
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