Box Score
Big South Tournament BracketBIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Led by freshman middle blocker Morgan Anderson with a match-high 13 kills, the No. 4 Birmingham-Southern volleyball team downed No. 5 High Point in three games (30-24, 30-16, 30-27), Tuesday night in Bill Battle Coliseum in the first round of the 2006 Big South Conference Volleyball Championship.
BSC moves to 12-16 with the win and moves on to face top-seeded Winthrop, who defeated No. 8 Charleston Southern, 3-0, earlier this evening, this Friday, Nov. 17, at 4:30 p.m. ET at High Point's Millis Center in High Point, N.C. HPU drops to 10-22 with the loss. It was the third straight time that the two Panther teams had faced each other in the first round of the Big South Tournament.
Game one started out close, with the teams playing to 13 ties up to the 15-15 mark with neither one leading by more than two, after which High Point rattled off three straight points, prompting a BSC timeout. BSC put together a 6-2 run after that to take a 21-20 lead, which prompted a timeout from High Point, and then HPU scored two points to take back the lead, 22-21. Birmingham-Southern took over after that, going on a 9-2 run to win the game, 30-24, on a kill from senior outside hitter Andra Krautmanis.
BSC dominated game two, going up 4-1 to start and expanding the margin to 13-6 before High Point was forced to call a timeout. BSC kept building on its lead, going up 19-8 and then 23-10 before eventually winning, 30-16, on a kill from freshman outside hitter Sarah Harris.
In game four, BSC jumped out to another 4-1 lead and kept a comfortable margin until High Point used a 6-1 run to cut the lead to 16-15. Birmingham-Southern scored two more points to keep the lead, but HPU answered with two points of its own to cut the margin to one again, 18-17. BSC kept fighting and went up 21-17, and went on to lead by as much as six at the 25-19 and 28-22 marks, but High Point scored five straight points after that, cutting Birmingham-Southern's lead to one, 28-27. A kill from Anderson, however, as well as a High Point attack error sealed the victory for BSC on a 30-27 win.
Anderson led all hitters with 13 kills and hit .310 for the match, and also led the team with four block assists, while freshman outside hitter Michelle Maciejewski posted her 13th double-double of the year with 10 kills and 15 digs. Harris was also in double digits with 11 kills, and freshman setter Milica Stojanovic recorded her 11th double-double with 43 assists and 11 digs. Freshman libero Alex Norten led all players with 21 digs.
Sophomore middle blocker Lindsay Raus led High Point with 10 kills and a match-high .471 attack percentage, and sophomore setter Kristina Taylor led with 28 assists. Freshman outside hitter/defensive specialist Audi Gonzalez and sophomore libero Lauren Hatch led with 15 digs apiece, while junior outside hitter Jamie Kaufman was also in double digits with 10 digs. Senior middle blocker Sabrina Wahid led the Panthers at the net with two solo blocks and three block assists.
BSC hit .217 overall with 50 kills, while High Point struggled offensively, hitting .049 with 33 kills.
If the Panthers win Friday's match against Winthrop, they move on to the championship match, facing the winner of the match between No. 6 Coastal Carolina and No. 2 UNC Asheville. The championship is set for Saturday, Nov. 18, at 4 p.m. ET.
Post-Match Quotes
Birmingham-Southern Head Coach Tonya Charland
"I'm proud of the team because they came ready to play tonight. It's a huge accomplishment for them to make it to the semifinals this season with eight freshmen on the court. To have been picked seventh in the preseason and then turn it around the way they have, finishing fourth and making it to the final four, is a testament to the team's character and the fact that they never give up."
High Point Head Coach Chad Esposito
"We played really hard tonight, but my hat goes off to Birmingham-Southern, because they have really pulled together as a team and are playing very well. It was tough for us to get going offensively, and their blocking took us out of synch and BSC stepped up and made some great plays. It's always a good battle with them, but unfortunately we came out on the losing end this time."