Volleyball Storms into the Semifinals; Will Take On Coastal Carolina

Just one day after receiving some much-deserved recognition in the Big South year-end awards, the Bulldogs shone again on the court last night. UNC Asheville (25-9) cruised past hosting Radford in the quarterfinals of the Big South tournament 25-21, 25-19, 25-15. The victory sets up a semifinal showdown tonight against a Coastal Carolina squad that accounts for two of the Bulldogs’ three conference losses this season.

Three Bulldog players – Kelsey Benorden, Raquel Miotto, and Lauren Ficker – were named First Team All-Conference, UNC Asheville’s Julie Torbett was named Coach of the Year, and Bridgett Holiday was chosen for the All-Academic team by the Big South sports information directors on Wednesday. Benorden earned her second First Team selection after leading the conference in double-doubles, and ranking second in kills and ninth in digs. Miotto (who was the runner-up to Winthrop’s Kelley Taylor in Player of the Year voting) makes the team for the third time. She led the Big South in digs and aces per set, and this season became the Big South’s all-time career leader in digs. Ficker earned her first all-conference selection this season after leading the team in total kills and posting the second-highest single season attack percentage in UNC Asheville history. This is the second time Torbett, the Big South career leader in wins, has received Coach of the Year honors (the first came in 2002).

On Thursday night, the Bulldogs took to the court to defend their regular season championship in the Big South tournament. UNC Asheville took advantage of early runs in each of the three sets to achieve separation and remain in control throughout the match. Although the Bulldogs only hit .185, they were able to limit Radford to a meager .056. Benorden turned in her 19^th double-double of the season, with 15 kills and 17 digs. Miotto posted 22 digs and one service ace – breaking Frida Sigurdardottir’s single-season school record set in 2002. Sophomore Cindi Miller was also in double figures with 10 kills.

Tonight’s semifinal matchup against Coastal Carolina will challenge the Bulldogs. In each contest against Coastal this season, UNC Asheville came out on the wrong side of a five-set battle. At the Justice Center on November 13^th, the Bulldogs held a 2-0 advantage after the first two sets, but the Chanticleers stormed back, winning three straight for the victory. Early in the match, the Coastal attack centered on First Team All-Conference selection Chelsy Kimes, who finished the match with 22 kills, 10 digs and 4 blocks. The Chanticleers had much more success in the final two sets, however, when they were able to incorporate some diversity into their offense. Big South Scholar Athlete of the Year Jill Nyhof posted 15 kills (most in the final sets) to go with an incredible .667 attack percentage and 9 blocks. Fresham of the year Sierra Livesay also came on strong later in the match to finish with 16 kills and 19 digs. These teams know each other well after 10 sets during the regular season, so expect a close battle tonight.

If the Bulldogs are able to outlast Coastal Carolina tonight, they will face the winner of this afternoon’s semifinal between Liberty and Charleston Southern in the championship match on Saturday.

Go Dogs!!!

Women's Basketball Tops South Carolina State, 67-60

UNC Asheville stormed back from an early 8-2 deficit to capture its first win of the season, defeating South Carolina State 67-60. The Bulldogs (1-1) bounced back from a season-opening upset at the hands of Newberry, thanks to an inspired effort on defense and double-doubles from two Asheville players.

In her first start of the season, sophomore Linda Aughburns led the Bulldogs with 14 points and pulled down 10 boards. Chioma Okoli posted 13 points for the second straight outing, to go with a career-high 11 rebounds. Also in double figures for UNC Asheville were Lindsey Thompson with 12 points and Kendall Shepard with 11.

The Bulldogs faced a South Carolina State squad that returns three starters from the unit that defeated UNC Asheville 67-64 last season at the Justice Center. Once again, Sophilia Hipps had a big night for SCSU. The senior tallied 14 points, while posting game-highs in rebounds (12), assists (4), and steals (4). SCSU Freshman Lauren Johnson led all scorers with 16 points in the game.

The Bulldogs were a significantly improved team on defense Tuesday night. After allowing Newberry to shoot 46.4% in the opener, Asheville limited South Carolina State to 28.6% shooting. Asheville’s shooters also found their touch, shooting 40% from the field (compared with 31% against Newberry) and 40% from behind the arc (the Bulldogs were a woeful 1-of-20 in the season-opener). Free throw shooting was still a concern, as the Bulldogs managed only 55.3% from the charity stripe.

UNC Asheville also had some success in protecting the basketball. The Bulldogs turned the ball over 15 times in the contest – equal to their total in the loss to Newberry, but well down from 28 in last week’s exhibition match against Mars Hill. Despite the efforts of Aughburns and Okoli on the glass, the Bulldogs were again out-rebounded by their opponent. It was also the second straight contest in which Asheville dished out fewer assists (Asheville had 8 to SCSU’s 12) suggesting that the Bulldogs might live or die by the mid-to-long range jumper this season.

UNC Asheville is back in action this Sunday, hosting Lees-McRae at the Justice Center in the Bobcats’ first game of the season. The match tips off at 2:00, and will be followed at 4:30 by a men’s basketball contest against Campbell.

Men's Basketball Preview: Tennessee

The Bulldogs are in for a huge challenge tonight as they travel to Knoxville to take on 10th-ranked Tennessee in a non-conference matchup. UNC Asheville (0-1) fought hard on Friday night but fell, 86-70, in its season-opener at Charlotte. Meanwhile, Tennessee (1-0) easily dismantled Austin Peay, 83-54.

UNC Asheville bounced back from a shocking exhibition loss at the hands of Brevard to put together a quality effort against a talented Charlotte squad on Friday, but was unable to come away with the win. Playing without top returning scorer John Williams, the Bulldogs were led by sophomore Chris Stephenson, who came off the bench to record a career-high 22 points and 6 rebounds. Stephenson also led the Bulldogs in blocks (3) and assists (2). Junior guard J.P. Primm also had a solid outing, adding 15 points for the Bulldogs. Sean Smith, who scorched the nets for a game-high 22 points in the loss to Brevard, shot only 1-of-7 from three-point range and had 7 total points.

The Bulldogs trailed the 49ers 40-27 at the half, but made an impressive second half run, closing the gap to 48-47 with 11 minutes remaining. Asheville was unable to take the lead, however, and Charlotte pulled away over the final 7 minutes. Rebounding was a major area of concern for the Bulldogs. Charlotte dominated the glass in the first half, outrebounding Asheville 32-15. The Bulldogs cut down on this advantage in the second half, but the damage was already done.
Four Volunteers scored in double figures in Tennessee’s season opening victory on Friday night. Sophomore Scotty Hopson, an SEC all-freshman selection last season, was the high scorer with 16. The Volunteers are led by a pair of seniors, Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism, and both made their presence felt against Austin Peay. Smith, a first-team all-SEC player one year ago, filled out the stat sheet with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Chism, a second-team selection, had a double-double as well with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

UNC Asheville travelled to Tennessee last season and lost, 87-69. Smith led the Vols with a triple-double in only 24 minutes of play. Three Bulldogs scored in double digits in that contest, and Asheville will likely be without all of them tonight. Reid Augst and Jason Ridenhour graduated this offseason, and John Williams, who missed the Charlotte game due to illness, is officially listed as questionable.

Women's Basketball Preview: Newberry

Women’s basketball tips off the regular season on Saturday afternoon, hosting Newberry College at the Justice Center. This will mark the first time the two schools have faced one another in women’s basketball competition. The retooled Bulldogs squad looked sharp on Friday night in a 92-72 romp over Mars Hill in an exhibition match at the Justice Center. Newberry has not yet taken the court this season.

UNC Asheville put together a strong showing on the offensive end on Friday, shooting over 55 percent from the field and placing five scorers in double figures. Junior forward Lindsey Montgomery and freshman guard Grace Blaylock led the team with 15 points each, followed by guards Kendall Shepard (11), Lindsey Thompson (11), and Chioma Okoli (10). Blaylock started the game at point guard and played a team-high 30 minutes, dishing out 5 assists and collecting 7 rebounds. Forward Kiara Rainey was the Bulldogs’ rebounding leader, with 9 boards.

Although the offensive effort was encouraging, turnovers and team defense were areas of concern for the Bulldogs following the exhibition contest. UNC Asheville committed 28 turnovers, compared to only 19 from Mars Hill. The Bulldogs were able to limit Mars Hill to 34 percent shooting in the game, but gave up 17 offensive rebounds. Those second-chance opportunities enabled the Lions to rack up 72 points.

If the Bulldogs are able to protect the basketball and control the offensive glass, they have a chance to do much better than the eighth-place finish projected for UNC Asheville at the Big South media day. With the loss of last year’s leading scorer and point guard Ana Baker, there have been questions about the Bulldog’s ability to produce consistently on the offensive end. The strong cadre of Bulldog underclassmen, led by Blaylock, look to answer those questions as the regular season begins. Asheville added another underclassman to its roster this week. Redshirt freshman MacKensie Wheaton, a cross country and track runner at UNC Asheville, has joined the team as a guard.

Newberry enters the season as one of the top teams in the South Atlantic Conference. Last season, the nickname-less Newberry squad finished with an 18-11 record and fell in the semifinals of their conference tournament. The team is picked to finish third in the conference this year. Newberry returns two of its top producers from last season. Senior Helen McKinney average 14.9 points (7^th best in the conference) and 7.2 rebounds. Junior Anita Bulcher was second in the SAC with 8.7 rebounds per game, and 11^th in scoring (13.3).

The game is scheduled to begin at 4:30 on Saturday, immediately following volleyball’s Senior Day regular season finale against Winthrop.

Go Dogs!!!

Vollyball Goes For the Title this Weekend

The Bulldogs return home to the Justice Center this weekend with the opportunity to capture a conference title. UNC Asheville will host Coastal Carolina at 7pm on Friday, followed by a 2pm date with Winthrop on Saturday. A victory in either match earns the Bulldogs a share of the conference title and the top seed in next weekend’s Big South tournament. Two wins (or one win and a Liberty loss) would give UNC Asheville the regular season championship.

Coastal Carolina (16-12, 9-5) handed the Bulldogs their first conference loss of the 2009 season on October 17, in a tightly contested five set match in Conway, S.C. Three Chanticleers posted double-doubles in that match. Junior Chelsy Kimes, who ranks second in the Big South in kills, was the top performer for Coastal with team-highs in kills (15) and digs (19). Classmate Amanda Russell (11 kills, 13 digs) and freshman Sierra Livesay (10 kills, 14 digs) also had big days. The Chanticleers have a variety of talented offensive players and are also one of the best in the conference in terms of blocks. Junior Megan Bickford had five blocks against the Bulldogs, in addition to 15 kills and a .324 hitting percentage, and senior Jill Nyhof ranks third in the league in blocks this season.

UNC Asheville will conclude the regular season with its Senior Day match against Winthrop (18-9, 10-4). On October 16, the Bulldogs defeated Winthrop in four sets on the road, but the Eagles are an elite team and will be prepared for the rematch. Winthrop leads the Big South in team hitting percentage and has two players among the top ten in kills – senior Kelley Taylor and junior Kaley Viola. Viola posted a double-double in the loss to Asheville with 11 kills and 11 digs. The Eagles are also have a strong setter – junior Kelsey Hall leads the conference in assists – and libero. Junior Ginnie Talley ranks among the top ten in both digs and service aces, and notched 12 digs and two aces against Asheville. Winthrop has suffered two losses in its last four outings (against Liberty and Coastal Carolina), but got back on track with a decisive three set victory over Presbyterian on Saturday.

The Bulldogs will need to be at their best to defeat two opponents of this caliber, but the team carries a great deal of momentum into the weekend. Asheville reeled off three consecutive tough road victories last week to claim first place in the Big South, and will be eager to defend that position. Following a phenomenal showing over that three match stretch, Kelsey Benorden was named National Player of the Week by the Collegiate Volleyball Update.

This is a great weekend to see high-level volleyball at the Justice Center, and the last chance to see the 2009 Bulldogs at home. Come out to support the team as they fight for a conference championship.

Go Dogs!!

Men's Soccer Tournament To Begin Friday

Sixth-seeded UNC Asheville will kick off the Big South men’s soccer tournament with a rematch against third-seed Liberty. Thanks to continued rainfall from tropical storm Ida, the match has been postponed and will now begin at 5:00 Friday evening. The Bulldogs (6-11-2, 2-5-1) fell to the Flames (10-4-3, 4-2-2) in the regular season finale at Greenwood Field on Saturday. UNC Asheville claimed the lead in the first half of that match on a Connor Holzinger penalty kick, but was unable to answer second half goals from Liberty’s Darren Amoo and Chris Phillips.

Amoo should again pose the biggest challenge to the UNC Asheville defense. The sophomore from Ghana led the Big South in points (30) during the regular season, and his 13 goals are tops in the conference and sixth best in the nation. Amoo was a constant scoring threat in Saturday’s match, launching a match-high eight shots and scoring the game-tying goal in the 49^th minute. Amoo’s countryman and fellow sophomore, Phillip Aseweh, ranks fourth in the Big South in points (20) and will also be a danger. Sophomore midfielder Juan Niño is second in the conference in assists (8), and supplied the helper on both Liberty goals on Saturday.

Liberty is also a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end. The Flames have allowed a conference-low (and fifth lowest in the nation) 0.51 goal against this season. Most of the credit for this feat belongs to sensational junior goalkeeper Andrew Madero, who leads the Big South with a 0.47 goals against average (fourth best in the nation) and .860 save percentage (10^th in the nation).

The Bulldogs enter the Big South tournament on a five-match losing streak that has dropped them into sixth place, setting up a grueling run at the conference title. If Asheville is able to outlast Liberty on Friday, they will face the winner of second-seed High Point and seven-seed Radford on Saturday. High Point, the tournament host, finished 5-1-2 in conference play and looked very impressive in a 2-1 victory over the Bulldogs at Greenwood Field on October 3. Should Asheville make it to the conference championship match on Sunday, the Bulldogs will likely face either top-seeded Coastal Carolina or fourth-seed Winthrop. The Chanticleers finished the season undefeated in conference play, while the Eagles are the only Big South team to defeat High Point – and did so on the Panthers’ home pitch.

With his penalty kick goal against Liberty, Holzinger became Asheville’s top scorer for the regular season with 10 points (3 goals, 4 assists). Freshman striker Zachary Odum is a close second with 9 points. Lassi Hurskainen has defended the net valiantly all season. Although his goals against average of 1.64 is only fifth best in the conference, Hurskainen leads the league with 105 saves and ranks second with a .789 save percentage.

Although UNC Asheville has struggled of late, the Bulldogs have the opportunity to get back on track and make a run in the conference tournament. Although Asheville lost to the top three seeds, the Bulldogs scored in each match, and each was a one-goal decision. The entire tournament will be streamed online and can be viewed on the Big South network.

Go Bulldogs!

Volleyball Reclaims First Place With Two Thrilling Wins

The Bulldogs wrapped up a four match road trip over the weekend with victories in pivotal contests against Liberty and High Point. On Friday night, UNC Asheville defeated Liberty in four sets (25-18, 21-25, 25-21, 25-20) in a battle for sole possession of first place in the Big South conference. On Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs held on to their advantage with a win in four (25-16, 13-25, 26-24, 25-21) against an improved High Point squad.

Friday’s contest matched the two teams that have topped the Big South standings all season long. The Flames (16-11, 11-3) hoped to even the season series after a 3-1 defeat at the Justice Center on October 10^th, but were overpowered by the Asheville attack. Kelsey Benorden produced 25 kills, a .370 hitting average, 15 digs, and 2 blocks, to lead the charge. Cindi Miller chipped in 10 kills, Rachel Guinane had 43 assists, and three other Bulldogs added double-figure digs – Raquel Miotto (24), Bridgett Holliday (19), and Brooke Holliday (12). Liberty was powered by a pair of preseason all-conference selections. Chelaine McCarty turned in 16 kills while hitting .282, and Nicki Scripko posted team-highs in kills (17) and digs (16).

On Saturday afternoon, Asheville was able to avoid any hangover from the previous night’s victory and came away with a critical win against a High Point team that has improved dramatically since falling in consecutive sets at the Justice Center on October 9. After dropping the first set, High Point (16-15, 5-9) dominated the second, but was unable to hold off the Bulldogs from that point. High Point had four players post double-digit kills led by Courtney Johnk (14), and four Panthers recorded over 10 digs, including conference digs leader Julie Hershkowitz (25). The Bulldogs benefitted from another dominating performance by Benorden, who registered 20 kills, a season-high 28 digs, and 3 blocks. It was her 16^th double-double of the season. Lauren Ficker added 13 kills, Guinane supplied 45 assists and, not to be outdone, Miotto turned in a match-high 32 digs.

When the Big South’s weekly awards were announced today, it came as little surprise that Benorden was named Player of the Week and Miotto Defensive Player of the Week. Including Tuesday’s win at Gardner-Webb, the Bulldogs went 3-0 on the road against a very tough conference slate. Benorden posted 61 kills, a .306 hitting percentage, and 58 digs over the three match stretch. She eclipsed the 1,000 career kills/1,000 career digs milestone on Tuesday night and now ranks first in the Big South in kills with 4.12 per game and ninth in digs with 3.52 per game. Miotto tallied 72 total digs this week, along with 4 service aces. The senior from Brazil now ranks 5^th on the NCAA all-time digs list, and is second in the Big South in digs this season with 5.05 per game. Ficker and Guinane were also standout performers this week. Ficker now leads the Big South in hitting percentage at .379. Guinane had 128 assists on the week, and improves to third in the conference in that category, averaging 10.63 per game.

The Bulldogs (23-8, 12-2) will defend their conference lead as they wrap up the regular season at the Justice Center this weekend. Asheville hosts fourth-place Coastal Carolina on Friday, followed by the season finale against third-place Winthrop on Saturday. UNC Asheville clinches the Big South regular season championship and the number one seed in the conference tournament with a victory in either match.