Coastal Carolina rallied from a 2-1 deficit with back-to-back wins, including a 15-11 decision in the fifth game, to take the 3-2 victory over the Presbyterian College volleyball team in Big South action this afternoon in Conway, S.C. The Chanticleers won the close match by scores of 24-26, 25-16, 18-25, 25-19 and 15-11.
PC dropped to 4-13 overall and 1-1 in the league, while CCU improved to 3-8 overall and 1-1.
Presley Mabrey led all players with 18 kills. She was followed by 16 kills by Kelly Berryman and 14 from Allison Brown. Ashtin Frank added a match-leading 55 assists, while Mary Trimpe recorded a high 21 digs.
PC led Coastal Carolina in kills, 60-47, but had 17 more attack errors, 30-13, to end the match with a .182 hitting percentage. The Chanticleers ended with a .227. CCU posted 16.0 total blocks, while PC added 6.0.
Leading the Chanticleers in kills was Meghan Laffin with 13. With just one error she led the squad in hitting percentage as well, at .353. Lauren Alejo had 36 assists, while Jenna Orner added 19 digs.
The Blue Hose built a six-point lead midway through the period with a 7-1 run to take an 18-12 advantage. The Chanticleers rallied to tie the set on a service ace by Kindra Bailey to make the score 22-22. A kill by Berryman and an attack error by the Chanticleers gave PC its first game point of the day at 24-22. A kill from Eszter Nagy and an attack error by the Blue Hose once again tied the game this time at 24. Back-to-back kills by Frank and Berryman ended the game, 26-24.
After a close game two in early stages, the Chanticleers used a 5-0 run to take a 15-10 lead. CCU stretched its lead out to nine at 21-12. The Chanticleers and Blue Hose split the remaining eight points with a Nagy kill ending the game 25-16.
The Blue Hose took an early 8-2 lead in game three, highlighted by two kills from Berryman and Elizabeth Miler. The Chanticleers fought their way back, cutting the lead to just two at 16-14 but the Blue Hose responded with a 4-0 run, capped by kills from Berryman and Mabrey to re-open a six-point lead. PC held off the Chanticleers late in the game and took the 25-18 victory.
Both teams traded points in the early going of game four. With the game tied 9-9, the Chanticleers opened an 8-3 run to open up a 17-12 lead. The Blue Hose responded with back-to-back points off kills from Brown and Berryman, to cut the lead to three. A kill by Bailey and a pair of attack errors ended the PC rally, however as CCU went up 22-15. The Chanticleers held the lead down the stretch and took the 25-19 victory.
With the score tied 5-5 in the fifth and deciding game a small 4-0 run proved to be the difference for CCU as the Chanticleers went up a 9-5. The Blue Hose cut the lead to two off a kill by Mabrey and a CCU miscue, but that would be as close as they would get as the Chants held on for a 15-11 victory.
PC is next in action Friday, Sept. 28, as the Blue Hose travel to Winthrop for a 7 p.m. match.
