High Point vs. No. 4 UNC Asheville/No. 5 USC Upstate
When: Saturday, Nov. 17 at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Asheville, N.C.
All-time Series: UNC Asheville leads HPU 28-12 | HPU leads USC Upstate 2-0
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HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University volleyball team will travel to Asheville, N.C. for the 2018 Big South Volleyball Championship. The Panthers are the No. 1 seed and await the winner of tournament host No. 4 UNC Asheville and No. 5 USC Upstate, who play at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16. If HPU wins, it will face the winner of No. 2 Radford and No. 3 Winthrop/No. 6 Charleston Southern on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. in Asheville, N.C. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
On the Panthers
• High Point ended the regular-season with a 3-1 win over Gardner-Webb Saturday (Nov. 10) to finish with an overall-record of 19-9 and a 14-2 conference mark.
• The Panthers beat potential opponent UNC Asheville 3-0 in the Millis Center Oct. 13. Senior Molly Livingston led the way with 12 kills on a .688 hitting percentage
• HPU defeated USC Upstate twice this season. In the first meeting, High Point traveled to Spartanburg, S.C. on Sept. 18 and won 3-1. In the second meeting, the Panthers defeated the Spartans 3-0 on Oct. 12 in the Millis Center. Livingston led the way in the first win with 14 kills on a .522 hitting percentage, while freshman Madison Smith was the leader in the second win with 11 kills on a .409 hitting percentage.
• HPU is led by the Big South Player of the Year, Livingston, who leads the conference with a .367 hitting percentage. She also leads the Purple & White with 2.75 kills per set.
• Senior Jordan Hefner, an All-Big South Second-Team selection, ranks second in the conference and on the team in hitting percentage at .346.
• All-Big South First Team selection sophomore Abby Bottomley is the defensive leader for the Panthers averaging 5.33 digs per set. She leads the Big South and ranks 26^th in the NCAA in the category.
• HPU last won the Big South Championship in 2016.
• The Panthers had four Big South award winners in Livingston (Player of the Year and All-Big South First-Team), Bottomley (First-Team), Hefner (Second-Team), senior Katie Tylman (Honorable Mention and All-Academic Team) and freshman Madison Smith (Freshman-Team).
 
On the Bulldogs
 
• UNC Asheville ended the season on a nine-game winning streak capped off with a 3-2 win at Radford.
• The Bulldogs come into the tournament with a 15-11 overall-record and a 10-6 conference mark.
• Senior Cara Guthrie, an All-Big South First Team selection, leads UNC Asheville and ranks second in the conference in kills per set at 3.60, while junior Ansley Rooks leads the team with a .230 hitting percentage.
• Senior Madisen Zyburt is tops on the team in digs per set at 4.74.
• UNC Asheville had four All-Big South honorees with Guthrie on the first team, Julia Borges on the second team, Grace Volk on the freshman team and Kennedy on the academic team.
• The Bulldogs are coached by eighth-year head coach Frederico Santos. He has compiled 107-124 record during his time in Asheville, N.C.
 
On the Spartans
• The No. 5 seeded USC Upstate Spartans bring a 13-18 overall-record and a 8-8 conference mark into the weekend after dropping the last match of the season 1-3 to Radford.
• The Spartans are led by sophomore Lily Dempsey's 2.59 kills per set and junior Gloria Ikenegbu's .266 hitting percentage.
• Senior Payton Duncan is the defensive leader with 3.40 digs per set, while redshirt-sophomore Emily Russell and averages 1.03 blocks per set, which ranks second in the Big South.
•USC Upstate had four players receive Big South postseason awards. Dempsey and Ikenegbu were on the All-Big South Second-Team, while Emily Russell was an honorable mention selection and senior Madison Haake earned a spot on the Big South All-Academic Team.
• The Spartans are led by 23-year head coach Jennifer Calloway. She has a 360-369 record overall.
• This is USC Upstate's first-ever trip to the Big South Championship. The Spartans joined the conference this season.
 
Ticket Information
All tickets will cost $10 per day and will be good for both games during the day. Click here to purchase tickets in advance. All matches will be played in the Justice Center on UNC Asheville's campus.
 
Potential Opponents
The Panthers finished the season with a 4-2 record against the other three teams competing in the Big South Championship. They defeated No. 2 Radford 3-0 on two occasions and No. 6 Charleston Southern 3-0 twice. Winthrop was the only team to beat High Point in Big South conference play this season. The Eagles swept the series with two 3-0 wins.
 
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