Box Score BOX SCORE

High Point dropped a five-set battle at Winthrop Friday 2-3 (25-21, 25-14, 21-25, 22-25, 15-12). HPU took a 2-0 set lead but the Eagles rallied in front of their home crowd for the win. Freshman Courtney Johnk (Larkspur, Calif., Redwood) continued her hot play leading the team with 12 kills. She also put up six blocks and four digs.

With Megan Kaminskas (Flagstaff, Ariz., Flagstaff) at the service line the Panthers jumped out to a 5-1 lead to start set one. High Point would lead by as much as five late in the set at 20-15 on a kill by Johnk. However, the Eagles would come within one point of HPU at 21-20. Stephanie Wallin (Plymouth, Minn., Robbinsdale Armstrong) put down her fifth kill of the set and Kaminskas had a service ace to put HPU back in the lead 23-20. HPU went on to take the set 25-21.

The Panthers rolled to a 25-14 win in the second set. Five different Panthers registered a kill in the frame with Johnk and Megan Smith (Bellbrook, Ohio, Bellbrook) leading the way with three each. High Point also capitalized on nine attack errors by the Eagles, forcing a Winthrop hitting percentage of -.027 while the Panthers hit .207.

HPU took an early 13-8 lead in the third frame but the Eagles battled back to a tie at 13-13. Went on a 6-2 run at that point to take a 19-15 lead and force an HPU timeout. After the break HPU battled to within one at 19-20 after a service ace by Megan Smith but the Eagles pulled out the set win 25-21. HPU had only committed six attack errors through the first two sets but had eight in the third frame loss.

The fourth set was a battle for every point with 10 ties. After the last tie at 18-18 Winthrop pulled out to 24-21 lead. The Panthers fought off the first set point with a block by Kaminskas and Johnk but Winthrop won the set 25-22. Winthrop outhit HPU .256 to .182 in the set.

Winthrop carried the momentum in to the fifth set jumping out to a 6-2 lead. HPU battled back to a tie at 7-7 on a block by Anna Lott (Lincoln, Neb., Lincoln Northeast) and Johnk. The teams traded points to another tie at 9-9 on a block by Kaminskas and Johnk. Winthrop pulled away from that point, winning the set 15-12 and the match 3-2.

Lott finished the match with 12 kills, Wallin added 11 and Smith put down 10. Holly Fong (Sebastopol, Calif., El Molino) had 40 assists and Julie Hershkowitz (Scottsdale, Ariz., Seton Catholic) led HPU with 21 digs.

The Panthers 13-12 (3-6 BSC) head to Conway, S.C. Saturday for a 2 p.m. match with Coastal Carolina.