CLINTON, S.C. — The Winthrop University volleyball team routed Presbyterian, 3-0, on Friday at Templeton Center. Paige Bennett had 20 kills, her fifth game on the year with 20-plus, adding on 11 digs. KeAra Bowen added a new career-high 16 kills and a team-high four blocks.
Winthrop hit a season-high .394, with 50 kills. The Eagles committed no attack errors in a second set in which they hit .600. The Eagles registered under ten attack errors for the first time this season, with nine.
Bennett hit a season-high .533 as Bowen also notched a season-high, hitting .469, and Reece Rhoads had ten kills on a season-high .400 hitting percentage.
TOP PERFORMERS
Kills – Bennett (20), Bowen (16), Rhoads (10)
Aces – Alyah Cadavid (2), Addison Torain (2)
Blocks – Bowen (4), Teagan Sychterz (3)
Assists – Thatcher (37), Torain (5), Bennett (2)
Digs – Torain (16), Bennett (11), Cadavid (8)
SET 1
- The Blue Hose built a 17-11 lead through the middle of the set.
- The Eagles answered with a nine-point run, starting with a Rhoads kill before Thatcher served eight straight points.
- Bowen had two kills and teamed with Teagan Sychterz on two blocks during the push as Winthrop moved in front 20-17.
- Presbyterian came back to tie the set at 21-21, but Bennett had three kills over the Eagles’ final four points, including the last one, as Winthrop took the set 25-22.
SET 2
- Alyah Cadavid opened the set with a service ace, and the Eagles played through early ties before consecutive Bowen kills pushed the lead to 9-5.
- Bennett, Rhoads and Torain helped widen the gap in the middle of the set, with Torain’s ace taking Winthrop to 17-10.
- After an Eagles service error made it 19-12, Winthrop scored the final six points; Cadavid served the last five, Bennett had three kills in the closing stretch and Cadavid finished the 25-12 set with an ace.
SET 3
- After the Blue Hose moved ahead 8-7, Bowen and Bennett delivered kills to put the Eagles in front, and Bennett added another kill during a push to 12-9.
- Presbyterian cut the margin to 12-11, but Winthrop kept separation with kills from Bennett, Rhoads and Bowen, reaching 20-15 on Bowen’s kill.
- Cadavid served the final five points, a stretch that included a Sychterz-Bowen block, two Bennett kills and two Blue Hose attack errors, as the Eagles closed the set 25-15.
NEXT UP
Up next, the Eagles travel to Charleston, S.C., to face Charleston Southern on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 4 p.m.
Story courtesy of Winthrop Athletics.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
