GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's volleyball team looked sharp in the lone regular season meeting against the Catawba Indians, battling for a straight-set victory. With the win, the Pioneers remain perfect (6-0) at home and retake the top spot in the South Atlantic Conference standings.
The Black and Orange (12-2, 8-1 SAC) won the match by scores of 25-17, 25-17, 25-22 to sweep past the Indians (7-6, 4-3 SAC).
Catawba collected six kills from Arianna Colon, just ahead of Ashley Johnson and Raytchelle Miranda. Johnson needed only 10 swings to fire on a .500 hitting percentage. Dara Kane and Payton Medich tag-teamed the setting duties to record nine and eight assists, respectively. Johnson (3) and Kane (2) were responsible for the Indians' service aces. Medich also finished with a team-high five digs, followed by four from Morgan Childress. Johnson also added a match-high three total blocks (one solo, two assists).
Raeley Matthews had a career night, collecting a collegiate-best 17 kills on a .542 clip. Her offensive total ties her for 12th most kills in a three-set match in program history. Emiah Burrowes and Carli Pigza both registered nine kills, averaging .412 and .312, respectively. Peyton Gash added eight kills on a .538 rate, while Bailey Parker totaled six kills on a .500 hitting percentage. Catherine Clingan (24) and Elise Carmichael (21) split the setting role to rack up 45-of-50 assists for the Pioneers. Lydia Collins led the serving effort with a trio of aces, tying her career-high, and was followed by Carly Sosnowski and Carmichael with two each. Defensively, Sosnowski is credited with a match-best 14 digs, while Matthews rounded out her double-double with 10. Pigza and Collins shared the lone TU block of the evening.
Catawba hit .221 as a team with 22 kills and seven errors in 68 total attempts. Tusculum hit .447 with 51 kills, 13 errors and 85 total attacks. The Pioneers led the match in assists (50-21), digs (35-21), and aces (8-5), while the Indians are credited with more total blocks (6-1).
Tusculum's .447 hitting percentage for the contest was the highest since October 10, 2009, which was also a three-set win. The 51 kills as a team is tied for 11th-most throughout program history in a three-set match.
Tusculum finished with 17 kills in each of the contest's three sets.
Catawba may have taken the first point of the match, but the Pioneers would rattle off eight-straight to change the momentum. Pigza and Burrowes would each add a pair of kills in the span, capped off by a Matthews ace. The Indians fought off two set-points, but Parker clinched the frame with a kill.
Tusculum hit a fiery .583 in the frame to lead the match 2-0. Parker and Matthews started set two with back-to-back points and Catawba kept it close early on. At 14-all, TU shifted into another gear to finish out on an 11-3 spurt. In the span, Matthews garnered four kills, while Collins and Carmichael combined for a trio of aces.
Set three was the most tightly contested of the match as the Pioneers completed the sweep. The first four points went Tusculum's way with Carmichael finding the floor for an opening ace. Another four-point run featured the Pigza-Collins block and a Sosnowski ace. Catawba battled back to take a 17-15 lead, but an unforced error by the visitors keyed up a TU charge. Of the Pioneers' final 10 points, seven came by kills. Catawba withstood a pair of match-points, but Matthews closed out her finest collegiate outing with the last point.
Tusculum continues the homestand on Saturday (Oct. 9) afternoon against the Queens University of Charlotte Royals. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m.
