Box Score BOX SCORE

After going down 2-1 against Presbyterian College, the High Point University volleyball team battled back to win the match in five sets Friday at the Millis Center. Junior libero Molly Barlow came up with 20 digs for HPU in the 3-2 (28-26, 23-25, 24-26, 25-14, 15-13) win. HPU improves to 4-2 in Big South play.

After winning the first set HPU dropped the next two sets to Presbyterian College. HPU mounted a comeback in the fourth and fifth set to pull off the come-from-behind win. The High Point defense took over in the fifth set, holding PC to -.042 hitting percentage while HPU out-dug Presbyterian 15-9 in the final set to win it 15-13.

“Presbyterian has some very talented attackers,” said head coach Jason Oliver. “It is a credit to our defense that they stepped up in the final two sets and came up with big blocks and big digs to win that game. Defense is where this team is strongest and we relied on that late in the match.”

Junior Lauren Bell had a career-high 47 assists to go along with 11 digs for her second-straight double-double. She spread the ball around, putting four Panthers in double-digit kills. Kristin Heldt led the team with 13 while Michelle Chakirelis and Chelsea Davis posted 11 kills each. Jamie McDonald finished the match with 10 kills.

The Blue Hose hit .000 in the fourth set with 10 kills and 10 attack errors. High Point had five blocks in the set including one solo block each from Chakirelis, Courtney Johnk and Heldt helping HPU to the 25-14 win and forcing a fifth set.

In set five the Panthers pulled out a 15-13 win, limiting Presbyterian to three kills while HPU put down seven. HPU led 8-3 in the set but as they had in every set the Blue Hose staged a comeback, pulling within two points at 13-11 on a ball handling error by Johnk. At match point 14-13 Johnk put down her eighth kill of the day to secure the win for HPU.

High Point led for the entire first set until the Blue Hose battled back to tie the set 23-23. Presbyterian tied the score with a 7-1 run that included four HPU errors. The teams traded points to a 26-26 tie when Heldt gave HPU the advantage with her third kill of the frame. Barlow went back to the service line for set point and PC's Presley Mabrey sent her attack in to the net to give HPU the 28-26 win.

HPU had a four-point lead in the second set at 20-16 but another late comeback by Presbyterian College knotted the score 23-23. Rachel Hall and Mabrey put down kills for the Blue Hose to win the set for PC and tie the match at one set a piece. Presbyterian outhit High Point .325 to .206 in the set, led by Hall with six kills.
It was another late comeback for Presbyterian College in the third set as the Blue Hose narrowly won the frame 26-24. Mabrey had back-to-back kills to finish the set for the Blue Hose.

Chakirelis had four blocks to go with her 11 kills and Johnk added seven digs and three blocks. Senior Breanna Holliday had 15 digs in the win.

HPU wraps up a four-game home stand Saturday at 4 p.m. against Winthrop. HPU took both matches from the Eagles last season. Winthrop is 4-1 in Big South action this season heading in to Friday's matches.