Box Score PDF

• Junior Haley Barnes paced the Panthers with 18 kills and 13 digs for her third double-double of the year.
• Senior Megan Kennedy also recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs in the match.
• Sophomore Molly Livingston gave the HPU offense a three-headed monster with 12 kills and three blocks.
 
ELON, N.C. – Junior Haley Barnes racked up 18 kills and 13 digs to lead the High Point University volleyball team to a hard-fought 3-1 win at Elon in the Tussle in the Triad.
 
The Panthers (4-1) needed extra points to win the first two sets (26-24 and 28-26) before dropping the third frame to the Phoenix (3-2) by a score of 25-20. Elon again built a lead in the fourth set, but the Purple & White posted a 9-1 run to win the set (25-20) and close out the match.
 
"We talked to the team before the match about putting together quality games and that will be a focus throughout the year," head coach Tom Mendoza said of the team's first road win of the season. "In order to achieve our goals we will have to put together back-to-back matches to compete for a conference championship. I really liked our focus coming off a tough match last night and any time you can come in an beat someone on their home court, it's a good win."
 
Barnes' big night was backup by 12 kills from both sophomore Molly Livingston and senior Megan Kennedy. Like Barnes, Kennedy also tallied a double-double recording 10 digs.
 
At the net, Livingston and sophomore Jordan Hefner registered three blocks while sophomore Katie Tylman led the squad with four blocks to go with eight kills.
 
In the match the Panthers offense hit .294 while holding the Phoenix to a .282 attack percentage. High Point also earned a 58-52 edge is digs and had seven blocks compared to Elon's four.
 
From her libero spot, junior Amy Pilat paced the Panthers with 16 digs while the setters – junior Carly Jimenez and freshman Jenna Smith – combined for 11 digs and 49 assists.
 
HPU came out early with four kills to build a 5-1 lead in the first. However, the Phoenix answered with an 11-5 spurt to take a two-point advantage (12-10). From there, neither team was able to build a lead larger than two as Tylman's third kill of the frame gave HPU a 26-24 win. Kennedy paced the Panthers in the set with five kills as High Point hit .472 in the set.
 
In the second frame, the home squad opened with a 5-2 run and held on to the lead until Tylman evened the set at 10-all. The sophomore, then, gave the Panthers their first lead with another kill to spark 7-3 run (16-13).  However, the Phoenix responded with an 8-2 spurt to regain the advantage (22-18).
 
But the Purple & White wouldn't go quietly fighting back to take a 24-23 lead. Elon, then, scored the next two points to set up a set point at 25-24. However, Barnes answered with a kill and Jimenez served up an ace to give HPU the advantage. The teams kept battling until Hefner put down an overpass to give HPU a 28-26 win.
 
Out of the break, Elon came out hot building a 13-7 lead as HPU started the frame hitting .000. The Panthers were unable to overcome their slow start and dropped the set 25-20.
 
Once again, it was the Phoenix that built an early 7-2 lead. From there, the Panthers kept chipping away and finally pulled even on Barnes' 17th kill of the match. Kennedy followed with an ace to give HPU a 21-20 edge – its first lead of the set since 1-0.
 
Then, after Elon committed an attack error, Barnes and Livingston notched kills to give HPU a 25-21 win as the Panthers closed the match on a 9-1 run.
 
The Purple & White will travel back home this afternoon to host Youngstown State in the Millis Center at 7 p.m. to wrap up the Tussle in the Triad.
 
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