Site: High Point, N.C. (Millis Center)
Score: High Point 3, Campbell 2 (25-18, 25-20, 24-26, 25-27, 15-10)
Records: HPU 13-5 (5-0 Big South), Campbell 9-8 (4-1 Big South)
Next HPU Event: Saturday, October 9, 2021 -- vs. Hampton (Millis Center, High Point, N.C.), 2 PM
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The High Point University volleyball team set the program record for most consecutive Big South wins with an epic five-set victory against Campbell on Friday evening (Oct. 8). Sophomore Transfer Dylan Maberry led the way for HPU with 23 kills in her Millis Center debut. The Panthers are now 5-0 in the Big South.
Ryan Meek: For the last couple of years, Greg has really done a great job of growing Campbell's program into a conference championship-caliber team. I was telling my assistants on the bench, it reminded me a lot of the 2019 Big South Semifinals when we were up 2-0 and Campbell came back and won. They deserve so much credit, I thought they were well-coached, made every play, and hustled. The greatest part was seeing our team stand up and figure it out, not win pretty, be happy we figured it out and roll to a win but have to grit, fight, and find a way to win even when things weren't working for us as well as we wanted it to.
Meek on Millis: I thought the crowd was great tonight, at some point in the second set I looked over at Kevin and Jill and said 'Man, it's loud in here'. I just forgot the fans are so close to the court, how loud they get, how crazy it gets, I am looking forward to it again tomorrow. Then it will be fun in a couple of weeks when we get the whole student body back. I don't know that we take this match tonight anywhere but in Millis.
Panther Particulars
The first set went back and forth from the opening serve as the two undefeated in the Big South teams tangled in Millis. The Panther jumped out to a 6-3 lead before a Campbell run would tie the game back up at 7. A Madison Smith kill pushed the Panther lead to 11-9.
As Campbell stormed back into the first set Maberry recorded her first career kill in Millis to put HPU up 18-16. HPU used a 9-2 run to finish the first set 25-18. HPU lead 1-0 after 1.
In the second set, Mabery took over as she exploded for 10 kills in the second set alone with each kill the Millis Center crowd grew louder and louder. Maberry's seventh set gave HPU a 10-4 advantage.
The Fighting Camels worked their way back into the second set getting as close as 17-15 but HPU was able to hold strong to win 25-20 as
Sydney Palazzolo's kill gave HPU a 2-0 set advantage.
Campbell took the third set narrowly to force a fourth set. Despite the Camel set win, HPU provided some highlights including an impressive diving effort from
Maggie Salley that allowed
Maria Miggins to capitalize and send the ball over for a Panther score. That made it 9-7. The set went back and forth as the Fighting Camels would go on to win the third set 26-24.
In the fourth set, both sides sat at 15 Gabrielle Idlebird and Palazzolo collaborated for two blocks in a row to give HPU a 17-15 lead as the Purple & White looked to close out the match.
Later in the fourth set Campbell took a 25-24 lead. Palazzolo would keep the Panthers alive with a strong kill to tie the game at 25. The Fighting Camels were able to produce two straight points and cause a fifth set coming all the way back from trailing 2-0 earlier in the match.
Campbell had a strong start to the fifth set leading 6-3. A kill from Salley stopped the Camel run. Salley's kill was matched by Maberry then Campbell made an attacking error and the fifth set was tied 6-6. With the set tied 8-8, Campbell made two attack errors to give HPU a 10-8 lead.
Miggins made two kills which put HPU up 12-8 which produced a big reaction out of the Panther faithful inside the Millis Center.
Palazzolo secured HPU's program record-setting 21st straight Big South win with a kill to give HPU the fifth set win 15-10. The Panthers won the match 3-2.
Previewing the Lady Pirates
Home opening weekend continues for the Panthers as HPU hosts Hampton on Saturday inside the Millis Center at 2:00 PM. HPU has only faced Hampton three times defeating them on all three occasions. The two meet on Saturday after not playing in 2020-21.
#OBR x #GoHPU
