Triad-rivals High Point and UNC Greensboro treated fans at the Millis Center to an old-fashioned rivalry volleyball match on Wednesday night as the Panthers outlasted the Spartans for the 3-2 (25-30, 30-24, 30-28, 26-30, 17-15) win.

HPU improves to 5-3 on the season with the win and extended their current win streak against in-state foes to four matches. UNCG falls to 4-5 dropping their fifth consecutive contest.

Panther senior Jamie Kaufman tallied her first career triple-double in leading HPU, finishing with 17 kills, 11 digs and a career-best 10 aces. Ashley Mellott added 16 kills with Ashley Johnson (12) and Audie Gonzalez (11) also topping double figures. Five High Point players reached double-digits in digs paced by a career-high 34 from freshman libero Julie Hershkowitz. Gonzalez had 18 to post a double-double with setter Kristina Taylor also netting a double-double performance with 12 digs and 51 assists.

UNCG's Branagan Fuller led the Spartans on both sides of the court finishing with a match-best 21 kills and a team-leading 18 digs. Kaitlyn Nortz recorded seven blocks and 14 kills in the losing effort.

"This was a great victory for us," said HPU head coach Chad Esposito. "I thought our team showed a tremendous amount of heart, determination and intensity. I was proud of how we performed and continued to battle all night long. We beat a quality opponent in UNCG and hopefully we can build on this performance heading into this weekend's action."

The two squads battled through 33 ties and 19 lead changes over the five games of action. HPU held a slight advantage in kills (67-65) and digs (91-88) while the Spartans earned a 10-2 advantage in blocking at the net. High Point doubled up UNCG from the service line holding a 14-7 lead in service aces.

The Spartans used a late four-point surge to break open an evenly played opening frame. HPU closed the deficit to two points down the stretch but couldn't overcome their rivals suffering the five-point loss. The Panthers maintained a lead throughout the second stanza leading by as many as seven points (27-20) en route to evening the match score.

HPU grabbed the match advantage in game three overcoming a slight deficit midway through play. High Point pushed in front 27-23 before UNCG rallied by scoring five of the next seven points before Gonzalez notched the final point with a solid kill. With the Panthers in front 18-16 in the fourth game, Catherine Hanners' aggressive serving led the Spartans to six straight points to take a lead they would not relinquish.

The Panthers took an early 4-1 lead in the fifth game, but UNC Greensboro battled back to earn a 7-6 advantage. Following a dig by Hershkowitz that flew back over the net and found the floor for an HPU point to knot the score at 7-7, the Panthers got a pair of kills from Kaufman to move in front again. The Spartans rallied and had a chance to serve for the match leading 15-14. HPU responded with a kill by Johnson and then forced a pair of attack errors by UNCG to close out the scoring.

High Point returns to the road for their next action as the Panthers head to Flagstaff, Ariz., for the Fiesta Bowl Classic hosted by Northern Arizona this weekend. HPU faces Duquesne on Friday night before taking on UNA and UL-Lafayette on Saturday. The event will be sort of a homecoming for several Panthers as five members of the squad hail from the state of Arizona.