Elon women’s volleyball team beat the University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans 3-1 at Schar Center — closing out a three-game homestand. The Phoenix were hoping to get back into their winning ways after falling to Appalachian State University and Davidson College earlier in the week.
Head coach Matt Troy said he wanted his team to start stronger than in the previous games.
“Whenever you can jump out a little bit and get a lead, I think it just eases the nerves some,” Troy said. “They’ve been focused on having some resolve and relentlessness, and it was nice to see it come to play today.”
Junior Anna Sewell got the Phoenix going in the first set as she slammed the ball past two defenders to get Elon on the board, grabbing an early 3-1 lead. As the set continued, the Spartans went on a 4-point run after an Elon ball crashed into the net.
Sewell took the first set by storm, helping the Phoenix end the run. The Phoenix ground out the set and won 25-21, thanks to a spike by senior Cameron Lanier.
In the second set, senior Caroline Berlekamp got the Phoenix running with three straight blocks, giving the Phoenix an early 6-3 lead. The streak continued for two more points, forcing the Spartans to call an early timeout.
A set to Lanier ended with a spike giving the Phoenix a 12-6 lead. The Phoenix controlled most of the second set, winning 25-14.
The Spartans started the third set strong and set the tone early. After three straight points by Upstate, Sewell got the Phoenix on the board, 5-4. Later in the set, the Spartans went on a 5-point run, leading Troy to call a timeout after Sewell hit the ball straight into the net.
The Phoenix struggled in the third, which led the Spartans to win 25-19.
Lanier took control early in the fourth by getting the Phoenix on the board first. Lanier and junior Catherine Rucker combined on a block, jumping to an early 5-1 lead. The Phoenix controlled most of the set, with Lanier securing three aces.
Lanier said that she wanted to cool the tension so the team could finish the match strong.
“I think being able to take pressure off of the team, as far as somebody having to get a kill or somebody having a block, is a really big deal,” Lanier said. “So me being able to get a couple of aces for us and get a run just took some pressure off and got us the momentum back”.
The Spartans were never able to stop the Phoenix in the fourth set, which led the Phoenix to win 25-15, thanks to a kill by sophomore Allie Schultz. The team came together to finish strong after losing the third set.
“We didn’t play our best volleyball in the third set, and we were aware of that, and we knew what we needed to do to come back into the fourth set,” Lanier said. “We had to go back to basics and clean it up, and I think we did that.”
Elon’s next game will be against the College of Charleston at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 at Schar Center.