SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Converse College volleyball team wrapped up the regular season portion of the 2019 schedule with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Belmont Abbey on Saturday afternoon inside the Weisiger Center.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Belmont Abbey 3, Converse 1 (12-25, 22-25, 25-22, 18-25)
Records: Belmont Abbey (19-12, 14-2 CC), Converse (10-22, 6-10 CC)
Location: Hannah Gymnasium, Converse College, Spartanburg, S.C.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Brittany Tepedino led Converse with 13 kills to go along with 18 digs, while Alexis Pitts tallied 12 kills.
- Jasmine Finkley produced a solid game, connecting on nine kills while hitting .615.
- Lauren Tharrington dished out a team-high 27 assists.
- Converse outhit Belmont Abbey, .200-.147.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One
Belmont Abbey tallied the first three points of the opening set, but Converse came right back with three of its own to knot the frame early on. However, the Crusaders went on a streak of 12-3, taking a 15-6 advantage. The deficit was too much to handle for Converse as the Valkyries dropped set one, 25-12.
Set Two
The two teams traded set two's first 10 points, but Converse used a 9-4 burst to even the set at 14-all. Unfortunately, BAC took the next eight points and 10 of 12, building a massive 24-16 lead. Converse did not back down, staving off six consecutive set points, bringing the score to 24-22. However, a kill by Abbey's Cari Jane Valentine ended the comeback and gave the Crusaders a 2-0 match lead.
Set Three
After trading 14 points, Converse went on a mini run of 5-1, taking a 12-8 lead midway through the third frame. Coming out of timeout, Belmont Abbey took seven in a row to take a 15-12 advantage. Back-to-back kills by Tepedino followed by one from Finkley allowed Converse to deadlock the score at 15-all.
From that point the score would seesaw back-and-forth as the set would see five ties. With the score even at 22, the Valkyries, behind a trio of kills by Tepedino, took set three, 25-22.
Set Four
Converse came out firing on all cylinders to open set four, racing out to a 9-4 lead. Belmont Abbey came back with a run of 7-2, taking an 11-9 lead in the pivotal fourth set. With the frame locked at 16-16, the Crusaders went on a crucial 8-1 run to push the score to match point (24-17).
An Alexis Pitts kill brought the Vals one point closer, but Valentine ended the set and match with a kill from the outside.
UP NEXT
The Valkyries will open the first round of the 2019 Conference Carolinas Volleyball Championships at King (Tenn.) on Tuesday, November 19. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.