The Elon University volleyball team's offense operated efficiently once again and junior setter Sydel Curry set another career high, but High Point University closed out the Phoenix at the end of sets for a 3-1 (26-24, 28-26, 20-25, 25-21) victory Saturday in nonconference action at Alumni Gym.
Elon and High Point were tied 23 times and the lead changed 12 times throughout, and six was the largest deficit either team faced.
Sophomore outside hitter Kam Terry led Elon with 20 kills, while senior outside hitter Kayla Agae had 15 and senior middle blocker Ally Karle posted 10.
Curry, who posted a career-high 48 assists Friday in a victory against Youngstown State University, broke that record with 50 against the Panthers.
"High Point maybe served a little bit better than we did," Elon coach Mary Tendler said. "Some of their balls were dropping in front of our passers. We struggled getting good passes off their serves. They made plays at the end when it counted."
Curry's two kills tied the first set at 24-all, but sophomore Katie Tylman's kill gave High Point a close victory. The Phoenix took a 5-2 lead in the second, but Tylman hammered down back-to-back kills to push the Panthers ahead 11-10. Junior Haley Barnes tied it at 25-all, and blocks from Elon senior Ebony Scott and junior Michelle Klein tied it at 26-all. High Point closed out the set with kills from junior Carly Jimenez and sophomore Jordan Hefner.
The Phoenix was in control for much of the third, with Terry and Agae combining for eight kills.
Elon led 20-16 in the fourth before two kills by sophomore Molly Livingston, and a block by Livingston and redshirt senior Savannah Angel brought High Point within one. The Panthers took a 22-21 lead on senior Megan Kennedy's ace to force an Elon timeout, but High Point would score the next three points to seal the victory.
Elon hit .282, while High Point hit .294.
"Defense played a really big role," Terry said. "Both teams had a really good offense going. It became a matter of who would dig the balls more and who had a better block. It varied throughout the sets."
The Phoenix entered Saturday on a three-match winning streak, its longest in three years. Elon travels to University of North Carolina at Greensboro on Saturday night.
"Communication and gelling as a team has definitely worked," Agae said. "We're going to fight and keep fighting and keep rolling through, no matter who gets the point."