The High Point University volleyball team used a season-best 13 team blocks in handing Gardner-Webb a 3-1 (31-29, 30-27, 22-30, 30-25) loss on Tuesday night in the Millis Athletic Center.

With the win, HPU improves to 11-6 and eclipses last season's win total of 10 victories just a month into this season. The Runnin' Bulldogs fall to 9-11 on the year and become the seventh consecutive in-state opponent to fall to the Panthers.

Freshman middle blocker Anna Lott (pictured) was one of the keys for the Panther frontline on Tuesday finishing with a career best seven blocks to go along with a near personal high 12 kills. Senior Ashley Johnson led all HPU players with eight blocks in the contest while junior Lindsay Raus added six stops at the net.

Junior Ashley Mellott paced a balanced HPU offense finishing with 14 kills. Audie Gonzalez led the High Point back row with 20 digs and just missed a double-double after tallying nine kills. Freshman Julie Hershkowitz chipped in 19 digs in the win and junior setter Kristina Taylor served up four aces and handed out 40 assists in guiding the Panthers to a .202 team hitting performance.

Ashley Pridgeon topped a quartet of GWU hitters in double-digits posting a match-high 22 in the loss to combine with her 12 digs. Audra Harrison finished with 25 digs, nine kills, six assists, two aces and two blocks for the Runnin' Bulldogs.

"This was a good team win tonight," said HPU head coach Chad Esposito. "At times we were really clicking both offensively and defensively and then there were other times when we really had to grind. Our inconsistency really hampered us tonight, but I was proud of how we regrouped and found a way to earn the victory. We will need to get refocused quickly as we get ready to return to conference play this weekend."

Game one was a back-and-forth battle that featured 16 ties and five lead changes. HPU seized the early advantage at 13-9 but GWU rallied with a five-point surge to take a 20-19 a few rotations later. With the score knotted at 20, the two squads settled into a sideout contest with neither team holding more than a one-point edge until the Panthers captured the win on a Gardner-Webb service error and a tandem block by Lott and Johnson.

HPU jumped in front 6-1 early in game two and maintained a multiple point advantage for most of the frame. The Runnin' Bulldogs made a furious charge late in the game to pull to within a single point at 28-27, but Lott and Johnson tallied back-to-back kills to end the threat.

Gardner-Webb overcame a small deficit at the start of game three and broke things open with a six-point surge midway through the contest. GWU hit a match-best .237 during the third stanza while HPU connected at a match low .143 clip as the Runnin' Bulldogs were able to force a game four.

In the fourth game, the Panthers clawed their way to a slight advantage by putting mini-runs together. HPU built a lead as large as seven points, 23-16, before Gardner-Webb attempted a final push to close the gap at 27-25. Mellott scored a kill followed by a kill and then a match-sealing ace by Taylor.

High Point begins a stretch of matches that will keep the Panthers away from home for five of their next six competitions at UNC Asheville on Friday at 7 p.m.