Box Score Box Score

The High Point University volleyball team earned its first ever trip to the Big South Conference Tournament Championship with a 3-1 win over Charleston Southern in the semifinals. Senior captain Audie Gonzalez had 20 kills in the match to lead HPU to a 3-1 (23-25, 26-24, 25-18, 25-22) come from behind win over the Buccaneers.

"Amanda Hill came out and had a great match for Charleston Southern,” said head coach Jason Oliver. “We were just a little more disciplined at the end and that was the difference in the match. Megan Smith and Audie Gonzalez were incredible. They settled us down, showed focus and controlled the game on serve receive. CSU played very well, I am so happy to come away with the win."

The Panthers advance to the tournament championship for the first time in program history and will face No. 1 Liberty Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Winthrop Coliseum.

Senior Megan Smith had a double-double with 18 kills and 10 digs for HPU while freshman setter Maddie Simpson dished out 57 assists and added six blocks. HPU hit .295 as a team with 12 blocks and seven aces.

Charleston Southern took the first set 25-23. Both teams had 11 kills while CSU had one less error than the Panthers. The Buccaneers took a 21-15 lead on back-to-back service aces by Cori Holeman but the Panthers battled back to a 22-22 when Simpson put down an ace of her own. Charleston Southern took the next two points to set up 22-24 set point. Michelle Chakirelis put down her first kill of the match to fight off the first set point but Amberle Trinder's only kills of the set was the final point for Charleston Southern.

The Panthers fought off a late run by the Buccaneers to win the second set 26-24. HPU led by as much as five in the frame at 19-14 but CSU came back to tie the set 23-23. Smith put down her ninth kill of the day to put the Panthers ahead 25-24 and Chakirelis accounted for the winning point with a solo block on Holeman. Smith had seven kills in the set.

With a much more balanced attack HPU took the third set 25-18. Gonzalez led the way with four kills while Smith and Chakirelis each had three. The Panthers took an early 8-4 lead when Stephanie Wallin and Chakirelis put up two straight blocks on Kayla Klinger. HPU led the entire set, rolling to set point at 24-18. The Buccaneers sent the ball to the Big South Player of the Year, Amanda Hill, and Johnk put up a solo block to end the set 25-18.

The fifth set was a battle to the last point, with HPU pulling out the 25-22 win. Charleston Southern led 14-13 until a kill by Smith tied the match and HPU took the lead on an attack error by Klinger. Hill kept the set within CSU's reach with a kill to make it a 21-20 HPU lead. The Panthers hung on to the lead and Gonzalez and Wallin ended the match with two straight kills, 25-22.

Wallin finished the day with nine kills and six blocks while Chakirelis added six kills and five blocks. Johnk had seven kills and one block in the win. Julie Hershkowitz came up with a match-high 17 digs.

Smith's 18 kill performance gives her 507 for the season. She needs six in the championship game to set the single season record for HPU.

The Panthers move to 21-12 (13-3 BSC) for the season. It is the third 20-win season for High Point in the last four seasons.

HPU will face either No. 1 Liberty in the Championship game. The Panthers dropped both regular season matches to Liberty.