HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The High Point University volleyball team faced off against the Runnin' Bulldogs for the second meeting this season. The seniors went out with a bang on senior night, defeating Gardner-Webb with a clean sweep, 3-0.
Ryan Meek – " Just a great team win, you know we played all of our seniors and they all played exceptionally . I think the coolest part is the five seniors were seven, eleven, eleven, nine and eight kills, so they all contributed heavily. I think that was the coolest part to see our team really rally around them, the kids that get to play normally were cheering the loudest on the bench and you know I think most teams you would see some pouting and things like that but nobody's doing that, everybody's supporting what they did and I thought they played great. Just a great way to send them off. We still got one more match in Millis tomorrow and then conference tournament but it's great to celebrate them tonight in a successful way."
Site: Millis Center
Score: High Point 3 (25, 25, 25), Gardner-Webb 0 (18, 20, 13)
Records: High Point (20-9, 13-2), Gardner-Webb (9-18, 7-8)
The Panthers celebrated five seniors in Millis before the opening serve, including,
Lucy Dumford, Megan Kratzer, Sopheea Mink, Maria Miggins, and Maggie Salley. Hig Point also recognized three graduate students,
Gabrielle Idlebird, Kathryn Wesolich and Jillian Ziemba.
In an exciting opening first set High Point took care of business and set the tone early. After Gardner-Webb took a 4-2 lead, Salley rocked the house with a strong hit from the outside. Mink and Kratzer followed up with two back-to-back kills to tie the set at five all.
Midway through set one, the Panthers trekked on a long run, going up by eight with a kill from Wesolich before a Runnin' Bulldogs bad set would make it nine at 22-13. Mink closed out the set with a kill from the middle to secure set one, 25-18.
Set two opened with a back-and-forth exchange of points, including two lead changes and seven tie ups before the 15-point mark.
The Panthers took the lead at 9-8 with a hit from Salley and never looked back. Gardner-Webb narrowed HPU's lead to just two to make 21-19. With the match point on the line, Wesolich sealed the deal with a service ace to take set two, 25-20.
Similar to the first two sets, set three made for an exciting and intense set between the two teams.
Kratzer sent one to the back corner to put High Point up 5-3. Dumford tabbed her 9
th kill of the night with a quick hit from the right side to make it 13-10. Right behind her was Wesolich with what looked like too high of a set was no problem for her to slam it down just past the 10-foot line.
Kratzer brought the heat on the Panthers 20
th point, sending her shot off the Runnin' Bulldogs backrow defender into the stands.
In an attempt to try and take their first set, Gardner-Webb was shot down by HPU as the Runnin' Bulldogs could only gather one point in the last four points of play.
Up Next: HPU has a quick turnaround and will host UNC Asheville in the final game of the regular season at the Millis Center. The match is slated for 2 p.m.
#GoHPU
