Swannanoa, N.C. (Sept. 14, 2024) --The Pfeiffer University volleyball team cruised to a three-set win (25-19, 25-22, 25-10) over the Warren Wilson Owls in the second match of a tri-match on Saturday at the Devries Athletic Center.
The non-conference victory improved Pfeiffer's overall record to 3-4 on the season.
Jada Thomas finished with seven kills on the day to lead the Falcons attack while finishing with a hitting percentage of .278.Kylee Mayberry also pitched in with six in the contest. Defensively, had two players reach double figures in digs as Mayberry had 12 and Abby Talley had 11.
Game Notes
» Kylee Mayberry had a match-high six aces in the win.
» Pfeiffer never trailed on the way to winning the first set 25-19.
» Pfeiffer never trailed on the way to winning the third set 25-10.
» Jada Thomas had a team-high seven kills for Pfeiffer.
» Pfeiffer got a match-high 12 digs from Kylee Mayberry.
» Pfeiffer attackers were helped by a match-high 17 assists from Kylee Mayberry.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Falcons won the first point and never looked back to win the first set 25-19. Pfeiffer led by seven points at 20-13 before closing out the set. Pfeiffer also supplemented their offense with four aces in the opening set.
SET 2 | After their win in the first set, Pfeiffer put themselves on the cusp of a sweep with a 25-22 victory in set number two. The Falcons grabbed the advantage for good at 22-21 in a set that showcased three lead changes before the Falcons took over in the second half of the stanza. The Pfeiffer offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza.
SET 3 | Pfeiffer then finished off the match with a victory in set number three. The Falcons took a 1-0 lead and never looked back in the set to secure a 25-10 victory. Pfeiffer ended on a high note, claiming its biggest lead, 15 points, to close out the set. The Pfeiffer offense also got a boost from three aces in the stanza.
In the first match of the day against Maryville College, junior Haedyn McGrath notched 10 kills but the Pfeiffer volleyball team fell in five sets (25-17, 23-25, 22-25, 25-23, 9-15) to the MaryvilleÂ
Defensively, Pfeiffer had two players reach double figures in digs as Gabby Edwards had 24 and Gabby Gama finished with 10. From the front row, Madison Tate contributed five blocks.
Game Notes
» Haedyn McGrath was efficient in attacking situations in the match, accumulating 10 kills while hitting .500.
» Karmen Rion had a team-high three aces in the loss.
» Pfeiffer served up five aces on the way to a first-set victory.
» Pfeiffer came back from being down by seven points to win the fourth set.
» Haedyn McGrath had a team-high 10 kills for Pfeiffer.
» Pfeiffer got a match-high 24 digs from Gabby Edwards.
» Pfeiffer attackers were helped by a team-high 17 assists from Kylee Mayberry.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Falcons took set one 25-17 thanks to a strong showing on the attacking side. Pfeiffer put together a .333 attack percentage with eight kills in the set victory. The Falcons ended on a strong note, stretching their lead to its largest point in the set to finish out the stanza. Pfeiffer also supplemented their offense with five aces in the opening set.
SET 2 | Pfeiffer fell in the second set 25-23 to even the match 1-1. The Falcons battled back from a nine-point 17-8 hole, but Maryville (TN) hung on to take the set.
SET 3 | Pfeiffer then dropped their second set in a row, falling behind in the match two sets to one. The Falcons came up short by the score of 25-22. Maryville (TN) grabbed the advantage for good at 23-22 in a set that was knotted up 10 times before the Fighting Scots took over in the second half of the stanza.
SET 4 | Pfeiffer broke their two set losing streak and forced a fifth set with a 25-23 victory in set number four. The Falcons seized the set win in spite of trailing by seven points at 10-3 before fighting back to claim victory. Pfeiffer jumped in front at 16-15 and held on the rest of the way.. Pfeiffer also supplemented their offense with three aces in the set. Pfeiffer got a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked four Maryville (TN) attacks in the stanza.
SET 5 | After dropping sets two and three, Pfeiffer won set four, knotting up the game at two sets apiece to force a fifth set, but couldn't complete the comeback, losing the set 15-9 and the match 3-2. The Falcons trailed by as many as six points before dropping the fifth set.
Next Match
The Falcons will open USA South play on Wednesday, Sept. 18 with a road trip to William Peace. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. in Raleigh.
