GREENVILLE, N.C. – Junior outside
hitter Emily
Vandegrift (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) posted her third
straight double-double with 18 kills and 15 digs as the UMBC
volleyball team defeated Coastal Carolina in four sets, 3-1 (26-24,
22-25, 25-19, 25-23), Saturday morning at the Pirate Invitational
at Minges Coliseum. The Retrievers have now won four
straight matches, dating back to a win over Howard to close out the
Maddie Bingaman Tournament last weekend.
Vandegrift started her streak with a ten kill, ten dig effort at
St. Francis (Pa.) effort on Tuesday and then continued it yesterday
with 11 kills and 17 digs against tournament host East
Carolina.
"I think we're taking steps to improve and one of the areas we
wanted to work on is being able to finish close sets and close
matches," said head coach Ian Blanchard. "Over the
last three matches we've been able to do that."
Junior setter Mallory McIntyre (Winnipeg, Manitoba/St.
Mary's Academy) tied her career-best with 38 assists for UMBC (7-9)
while sophomore Hannah
Schmidt (Catonsville, Md./Mount de Sales) and
juniors Hallie
Carter (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison)and Ali Goc (Oshawa,
Ontario/R.S.McLaughlin) each scooped up ten digs against the
Chanticleers.
Gabriella Horvath paced Coastal Carolina
(1-7) with 16 kills and just missed out on a double-double by
picking up nine digs. Kindra
Bailey was also in double figures with ten kills for
Coastal while Jenna Orner led the back
line with 16 digs.
The teams came out even in the first set, trading points
back-and-forth and tying for the final time of the set at five
points. The Retrievers then ran off three straight
points to take the a lead, one they would hold on to until Coastal
went on a mini streak of its own to knot the set at 22
all. The Chanticleers then took the advantage 24-23, but
UMBC dug in and closed out the set with three straight to win the
opener 26-24.
The second set was nearly as competitive as the teams tied seven
times throughout. UMBC took the initiative and took
leads 7-4 and 10-7, but Coastal fought back to tie the Retrievers
at 10. The Chanticleers continued the momentum and won
seven of the next 11 points and held off a UMBC rally to gain the
second set, 25-22.
UMBC bounced back in the third set, overcoming an early deficit
to win six of seven points to open a five-point cushion,
11-6. Coastal rallied though to tie the set at 11, but
could not take the lead as UMBC pushed right back and closed out
the set with four straight points, the last on a kill by
Carter.
The fourth set was the closest of them all as the teams traded
the lead five times and were knotted on 13
occasions. After the Chanticleers took the lead at
23-22, the Retrievers once again claimed the final three points to
close out the match with a 25-23 set win.
The Retrievers now finish out tournament play against Marshall
at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Thundering Herd defeated East
Carolina 3-1 on Thursday night before sweeping Coastal on Friday
afternoon.
DAWG BITES
- UMBC
now holds a 9-4 advantage against Coastal Carolina in 13 all-time
meetings and has won the last four meetings.
- The
Retrievers also lead the Chanticleers 5-1 in matches played on a
neutral court.
- The
teams last met in the 1997 Big South tournament.
