After much success while being on the road for six weeks, the volleyball team made its way back to Brooks Gym and hosted its first home matches on Friday and Saturday.
The Bucs defeated the Wofford Terriers 3-2 (27-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-23, 17-15) in their first home match of the season, which was also the first home game for head coach Benavia Jenkins. The Bucs advanced their conference record to 6-0.
“Our crowd was amazing,” said Jenkins. “They came out cheering hard for the girls.”
During the first set against Wofford, the teams played neck and neck, giving a preview into how competitive the entire match would be. The match consisted of 10 ties and three lead changes. Though it was looking good for the Blue and Gold as they took the lead at 23-22, the Terriers won the set 27-25 after taking two blocks at the net.
The second set started out in favor of the Terriers, until the Bucs took control of the set and won 25-14.
The third set started out great for the Bucs, with a 7-0 lead which kept them in control. They remained in the lead at a 15-5 advantage before the Terriers began to catch up, but could not quite dominate the Blue and Gold, who won the set 25-18.
During the fourth set, Wofford came back determined and won the set at a close 25-23, making the total score 2-2.
The fifth set was the most competitive of the matches, with the crowd getting on their feet to see who would win the set and finally the match. The teams played neck and neck until they were tied with 15 points each. The Bucs came through and won the set 17-15 and the game 3-2.
Freshman Olivia Cunningham (Knoxville, Tennessee) had a match-high of 22 kills, 12 digs and two aces during the match against Wofford, which was her first one at Brooks Gym.
The following day, the Bucs were again victorious as they defeated the Citadel Bulldogs 3-1 (25-16, 25-18, 25-21, 25-20).
The Bucs led the first set from the beginning and never gave up their lead. They won the set 25-16.
The second set the Blue and Gold again led 1-0 and never let the Bulldogs match their score. They took the set 25-18.
The third set was the only one that the Bulldogs got an early advantage, which they never gave up as they won the set 25-21.
The fourth and final set had three changes in lead, but was eventually won by the Bucs. The team had 15 kills on 34 swings and only three errors.
“We really had to have our energy at an all time high because we struggled with serving and passing a little bit,” said Cunningham. “We know to go back to the basics, serve, pass and put the ball away.”
The Bucs’ next game is scheduled against Western Carolina for Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. in Cullowhee, North Carolina.
