UNC Asheville came away with a critical road victory against Gardner-Webb last night, taking the match in four sets (25-23, 25-16, 21-25, 25-18). The Bulldogs (21-8, 10-2) were able to get back on track after their loss to Charleston Southern on Saturday, while Gardner-Webb (11-17, 3-8) lost ground in the Big South race with a second consecutive conference loss.
The victory was especially significant for outside hitter Kelsey Benorden, who contributed 16 kills, 15 digs, and a .341 hitting percentage to the effort. The junior became only the 10th player in the history of the UNC Asheville volleyball program to total both 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. Tuesday’s match was also the 14th double-double of the season for Benorden.
Two other Bulldogs also reached statistical landmarks in the win. Senior Raquel Miotto, whose conquest of the UNC Asheville and Big South career digs records this season has been more publicized, is on the verge of eclipsing a school record in an entirely different statistical category. Miotto had three service aces on Tuesday, bringing her total this year to 58. That single-season mark is good enough to place Miotto in a tie for third, just four aces behind Frida Sigurdardottir’s school record, posted in 2002.
Fellow senior Lauren Ficker also had a red-letter night with 12 kills and a .476 hitting percentage. Thanks to that showing, Ficker now leads the Big South in conference play hitting percentage.
The Bulldogs came out on top of a see-saw battle in the first set, then pulled away in the second on a 12-3 run highlighted by three kills from sophomore Cindi Miller. A 13-1 run by Gardner-Webb in the third prolonged the match, but UNC Asheville took an early lead in the fourth set and held on for the victory which came, appropriately, on a service ace from Miotto.
The victory moves the Bulldogs into a tie atop the Big South with Liberty, setting up a showdown on Friday night in Lynchburg with sole possession of first place at stake. UNC Asheville defeated Liberty in four sets at the Justice Center on October 10, but the Flames are a formidable foe. Liberty (15-10, 10-2) has won its last five conference matches and is undefeated at home in regular season play.
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