Orangeburg, S.C. – North Greenville volleyball topped Claflin University 3-0 (25-18 / 26-24 / 27-25) in a hard-fought non-conference battle.

The Basics

• Score: NGU – 3 Claflin – 0
• Location: Orangeburg, South Carolina
• Records: NGU 7-7 / Claflin 3-8

How it Happened

• North Greenville stormed out to a 5-2 lead but the Panthers quickly closed the gap, evening the score at 6-6. The Crusaders once again jumped out to a big lead when a Brittany Tepedino kill made it 17-12.
• The Panthers refused to go quietly though, cutting NGU’s lead to two points on a kill from Gabrielle Williams. North Greenville responded, scoring seven of the next nine points, including two kills from Katie McManaway and a service ace from Sara Miller to take the set one victory.
• The Crusaders would fall behind early in each of the next two sets but rebounded to earn the victories. A 5-1 deficit in the second set was erased with a 5-0 run. NGU would lead late but an error in the service game would even the score at 24-24, forcing extra points.
• NGU came out on top though as an error on the Panthers and a kill from Hebb earned the two-point victory for North Greenville and a 2-0 set lead.
•  A 5-0 run in the third frame was also necessary as the Crusaders trailed 5-1. The five-point surge moved NGU in front of the Panthers, a lead that eventually ballooned to 16-8.
• The Panthers got back into the mix, taking advantage of six North Greenville errors to even it at 17-17. A seventh NGU error earned Claflin a one-point lead. NGU would face set point late in the frame but received some help from the Panthers who committed three consecutive errors, helping NGU seal the victory.

The Good Guys

• Hebb led the Crusaders with eight kills while Kenzie Pierce finished with seven.
• Sara Miller led North Greenville with 24-assists and four digs on defense. Miller and Hebb also had a solid night from the service line with four aces each.
• The Crusaders finished the night with seven assisted blocks led by Brittany Tepedino and Emma Pepper who both had two each.

The Other Team

• Diara Lewis led all players with 10-kills on the night. Jordan Wallace finished with eight.
• Jhi Piper-Murles had a game-high 17-digs on defense while Chania Rispress led the Panthers with 22-assists.

Next Time Out

• The Crusaders will take to the road to take on Converse College on Friday night at 6 pm followed by a Saturday match at Limestone College at 2 pm.