It was a big weekend for UNC Asheville athletics, with volleyball and women’s soccer opening regular season play. The volleyball schedule began with a bang, with the Bulldogs playing four matches over the course of two days at the RTP Hilton/NCCU Tournament in Durham. Play began Saturday with a dissapointing 3-1 loss to UNC Wilmington, despite strong performances from junior Kelsey Benorden (22 kills, 14 digs, .439 attack percentage), senior Raquel Miotto (24 digs), and freshman Holly Shelton (10 kills, .571 percentage). The Bulldogs rallied on Saturday evening, however, to defeat South Carolina State in straight games. The match turned out to be a momentous occasion for Miotto, who reached 2,000 career digs, becoming only the 2nd player in UNC Asheville and Big South history to pass this milestone. Offensively, the Bulldogs were driven by Benorden (9 kills) and senior Lauren Ficker (8 kills, .462). Junior Rachel Guinane also performed well, with 18 sets in the match.
On Saturday, Asheville fell in four sets to an Elon team that posted a perfect record over the weekend and looked to be the strongest at the tournament. The Bulldogs kept it close, taking the early lead in each set, but tournament MVP Traci Stewart and the Phoenix proved overpowering. Ficker was the leading attacker with 15 kills, Miotto recorded 17 digs, and Guinane had 31 sets to her credit. Later in the evening, the Bulldogs closed out the tournament on a high note by coming from behind to defeat the Citadel in five sets. Asheville was paced again by Benorden, who recorded her second double-double of the tournament with 20 kills and 14 digs, and by Miotto (18 digs) and Guinane (47 sets). The victory was a big confidence booster for the Bulldogs, and gives the team some much needed momentum headed into Wednesday night’s showdown with Western Carolina (7pm at the Justice Center). Two Bulldog players were recognized for their performances over the weekend. Kelsey Benorden was named to the All-Tournament team on Saturday, after racking up 64 kills over the four matches. This was followed by the announcement on Sunday that Holly Shelton has been named the Big South Volleyball Freshman of the Week. Shelton posted 31 kills and a .389 percentage for the tournament. The Bulldogs’ 2-2 record puts them in a three-way tie for second place in the Big South. Stay tuned for a preview of their home opener on the Bulldog Blog tomorrow.
Sunday’s match against Appalachian State turned out to be the season opener for women’s soccer, after inclement weather cost the Bulldogs the opportunity to challenge Clemson on Friday. Asheville lost the match 1-0, but head coach Michele Cornish was pleased with much of what she saw. The Bulldogs played a strong, statistically even match against a tough opponent, on the road. There were a few key scoring opportunities in the game, including two shots on goal by senior attacker McKenna Stockhausen, but the Bulldogs could not manage to convert. The Mountaineers’ Sydney Hill recorded the lone goal, beating Asheville keeper Veronica Lazar in the 14th minute. Lazar split netminding duties with freshman Megan Dent, who took over in the second half. Each recorded one save in the match. The Bulldogs will face another tough away game against a Southern Conference foe on Thursday, when they travel to Spartanburg to face Wofford at 6pm. The match can be viewed online through the Wofford athletics website at http://tiny.cc/wofford
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