UNC Asheville opens its conference schedule tonight at the Justice Center, taking on the Runnin’ Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb University. Asheville (11-5) enters tonight’s match leading the Big South and looking to improve upon an impressive stretch of non-conference play, highlighted by a first-place finish in the USC Upstate Invitational tournament. Gardner-Webb (5-9) currently occupies seventh place in the conference, but the two clubs are much more evenly matched than their records indicate.
In its matches against teams that UNC Asheville has also played, Gardner-Webb has had strikingly similar results. In two matches against Wofford, the Runnin’ Bulldogs lost the first in five sets, and the second in three sets – exactly the same outcomes as in Asheville’s two matches against the Terriers. Gardner-Webb defeated the only other common opponent, Western Carolina, by a 3-1 margin in Cullowhee (Asheville defeated Western in straight sets at the Justice Center earlier this month). The Runnin’ Bulldogs will also enter tonight’s match with the momentum gained from a hard-fought, five set victory over Davidson (2-11) on Saturday night. Gardner-Webb is led by senior Regina Feagin, who ranks second in the Big South with 469 assists and leads the team with 137 digs, and by sophomore Laura Wilcox, who ranks sixth in the conference with a .296 hitting percentage. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have also been improved greatly by the addition of freshman Molly Rhyne, who has a team-high 146 kills to go with 108 digs on the season.
The Bulldogs are coming off a strong performance in the South Carolina State Spikefest tournament over the weekend. Behind standout performances from seniors Lauren Ficker and Raquel Miotto, Asheville cruised past Winston-Salem State and Hampton in straight sets on Friday. The Bulldogs continued to look sharp on Saturday morning, defeating Providence 3-1 before having their four game winning streak snapped at the hands of Wofford. Ficker was selected to the all-tournament team and Miotto was named top libero. Asheville is still battling the injury bug – junior Kelsey Benorden will again be inactive tonight, and junior Jenna Dover and sophomore Cindi Miller are playing hurt. With injuries plaguing the front line, Ficker has taken command. Her .331 hitting percentage ranks second in the Big South, and her team-high 174 kills are seventh-best in the conference. Along the back, Miotto continues to dominate, leading the conference in both digs (5.25 per set) and service aces (0.61).
UNC Asheville has won its last three matches against Gardner-Webb, including victories of 3-0 and 3-1 last year in Asheville and Boiling Springs, respectively. Tonight’s match is a critical opportunity to get an early conference win and build momentum for Friday night’s showdown on the road against second-place Radford (9-6). The match begins at 7pm, and admission is free for students. Alternatively, the game can be viewed online on the Big South Network, beginning at 6:50.
Go Bulldogs!!!
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