The Winthrop University volleyball team defeated Gardner-Webb 3-1 Friday at the Winthrop Coliseum, securing a share of the Big South Conference regular-season championship for the second consecutive year.
The Eagles improved their postseason position by clinching the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big South Volleyball Championship, which Winthrop will host.
Winthrop recorded a season-high 84 digs in the four-set victory. Lindsay Langner and Addison Torain led the defensive effort with 19 digs apiece, while Lexi Thatcher added 12.
Offensively, Little led the Eagles with 14 kills, surpassing 500 career kills and reaching 512. Paige Bennett contributed 13 kills, while Reece Rhoads added 10. Bennett also extended her streak to 23 consecutive matches with at least 13 points.
KeAra Bowen recorded a career-high seven blocks, matching teammate Teagan Sychterz for the team lead. Thatcher paced the offense with 43 assists and added 12 digs.
Winthrop took the first two sets 25-20 and 25-21 before Gardner-Webb answered with a 25-21 win in the third. The Eagles closed out the match with another 25-21 victory in the fourth set.
The win gives Winthrop momentum heading into the Big South Championship, where the Eagles will look to defend their conference title on their home court.
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Patrick Byrne lives in Tega Cay with his wife and two daughters. After 25 years working for a Big 4 bank, he retired to pursue his passion for writing. Additional articles and content can be found on his blog (reverian1776.blogspot.com) and freethepeople.org.
Patrick can be reach via email at [email protected]
