The High Point University volleyball team pushed the three-time defending Big South Champion Winthrop Eagles to the limit before dropping a 3-1 decision in the league opener for both squads on Friday night at Winthrop Coliseum.

The Panthers (8-5, 0-1 Big South) and Eagles (5-9, 1-0) battled to two-point decisions in each of the first three games of the match including a pair of extra point contests. Winthrop captured the first two frames (33-31, 30-28) with High Point taking the third stanza (32-30) and WU earning the victory with a 30-20 score in game four. The match featured 31 ties and 13 lead changes.

"We played with tremendous effort all night long," said HPU head coach Chad Esposito. "Our tenacity on defense allowed us to have an opportunity to win the match. I am disappointed in the final outcome, but I was very pleased with our determination and competitive spirit. Pushing Winthrop on their home floor was a big step for our team."

Senior Ashley Johnson tallied her first double-double of the year finishing with a team-best 15 kills along with 11 digs. Audie Gonzalez and Jamie Kaufman each chipped in 14 kills for the HPU offense. Gonzalez added 16 digs for a double-double and freshman libero Julie Hershkowitz paced the Panther defense with 22 digs. Junior setter Kristina Taylor also ended the match with a double-double, tallying 56 assists and 11 digs.

Winthrop had a pair of players top the 20-kill mark as Kelley Taylor (26) and Shannon Sitzman (22) led the Eagle offense. Pohai Nu'Uhiwa led five WU double-digit diggers with 22 stops.

High Point trailed for much of the opening game and fought off five game point opportunities for Winthrop before finally falling. The Eagles used a late five-point surge to gain a slight advantage in game two, but HPU rallied from 29-23 to 29-28 before coming up just short for the second consecutive frame.

The two squads battled back and forth through most of the third frame. With the score knotted at 20, Winthrop moved in front with a four-point run. The Eagles pushed their lead to 28-25 but High Point rallied back with a 7-2 surge to extend the match. A seven-point run midway through game four allowed WU to regain the momentum that carried them to the match victory.

Up next for High Point is a Tuesday night tilt against long-time rival Elon that opens up a four-match home stand for the Panthers.