Ashley Johnson, Jamie Kaufman and Lindsey Pickens each reached double-figures in kills and Michelle Feiser and Kim Anderson led a gritty defensive effort to help High Point rally from a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 win over Mercer Friday in the City Hotel & Bistro Pirate Invitational in Greenville, N.C.

It's the earliest first win for the Panthers in their short Division I history.

Johnson recorded a career-high 18 kills, while Pickens notched a double-double (13 kills, 13 digs).

After dropping the first two games, 30-27 and 30-23, the Panthers rallied for a resounding 30-19 win in game three and forced the decisive fifth game with a 30-24 victory in game four. HPU (1-2) went up 7-2 in the finale before the Bears (1-1) cut the lead to 9-7. But behind Kaufman (who had 14 kills and six blocks on her 18th birthday) and Johnson, the Panthers won the final three points to complete the comeback and claim their first win of the year.

Anderson tallied a match-high 26 digs and led five Panthers (Pickens, Feiser, Jenelle Stouffer, and Whitney Kaltenegger) in double-figures defensively.

"To come back from an 0-2 deficit like this with such a young group speaks to the intensity and passion we played with tonight," HPU head coach Chad Esposito said. "We showed a lot of heart today, and good things are ahead for the future of our program.

"Ashley played extremely well and really came alive at the end. Michelle set the tone for us defensively and provided great leadership."

Feiser provided 50 sets for the victorious Panthers. Julie Darty led the way with 17 kills for Mercer.

EAST CAROLINA 3, HIGH POINT 1
Kaufman paced High Point with a match-high 17 kills, but host East Carolina weathered a Panther rally and claimed a 3-1 win over HPU Friday afternoon in the opener of the 2004 City Hotel & Bistro Pirate Invitational in Greenville, N.C.

ECU got 16 kills and 13 digs from Erica Wilson and 13 kills and five total blocks from Jaime Bevan to capture a 30-21, 30-21, 24-30, 30-26 win.

Pickens recorded a double-double (11 kills, 11 digs) for High Point.

After dropped games one and two by identical 30-21 counts, the Panthers won four of the first five points in game three and eventually built a 19-12 advantage. The Pirates got as close as 26-22, but a Pickens kill gave the Panthers a game point, and HPU took the game on a service error.

ECU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the pivotal game four thanks to three service aces by Heidi Krug, and led by as many as eight points (19-11) before the Panthers bounced back. With ECU serving for the match, the Panthers staved off a pair of match points on kills by Pickens and Johnson before the Pirates closed things out following an attack error.

Kaufman led HPU with a .400 hitting percentage. Feiser tallied 37 assists, while Anderson (a match-high 19 digs) led the way defensively.

The Panthers meet Furman and Lamar Saturday on the tournament's second day.