HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University volleyball team advanced to the Big South Conference Championships on Saturday afternoon after defeating Radford University, 3-0 in the semifinals. The Panthers performed the sweep in front of the home crowd as HPU is the host site for the third straight season.
 
High Point produced a balanced attack through all three sets, hitting .272 as a team. Dylan led the Panthers with 10 kills and three service aces. Eve Wilson was efficient on the right side with eight kills for a .583 hitting day. Arica Davis dominated on offense and defense with six kills and a team-high eight blocks. Brooke Briscoe led the day on the serve with a career-high four aces.
 
"I thought we played well, and I thought our serving was pretty good," Head Coach Ryan Meek commented. "When we're serving tough, we can be tough to play because we can put you in predictable spots."
 
The Panthers jumped out on a 7-1 lead early in set one before Radford called a time out. Across the front Maberry, Davis, Allie Gray, and Wilson contributed to the team's early points in the first two rotations. Davis' third kill of the set kept the Panthers up by seven at 11-4. The Highlanders chipped away and closed the gap to two points at 13-11.
 
"Arica took control of the match early and by her doing that, I think we were able to settle in a little bit," Meek stated.
 
Maberry helped extend the Panthers lead back up to four with three kills at 16-12. HPU maintained a steady 3–4-point lead through the final points of the set as a kill from BayLea Sparks forced Radford to take its second timeout of the set at 21-17. High Point scored the final four points to take the 25-17 set one win.
 
In set two, the Panthers did not let up steam and opened the set with a six-point lead at 9-3. Briscoe served in a service ace for High Point's 15th point of the set to take a 15-8 lead. HPU held the lead as Jordyn Schilling made it 17-9 with an ace of her own. There was no stopping the High Point train as the Panthers took the 25-15 set two win.
 
Both teams battled in the third set. Kills from Wilson and Élodie Lalonde gave HPU a 9-5 lead. Radford stayed close and made it a two-point difference at 15-13 but High Point pressed on with an 8-0 run to make it 23-14 with the help of Briscoe on the serve. A kill from Kennedy Louisell and a double block from Gray and Davis secured the 25-16 third set win and a trip to the Big South Championships for the fourth straight season.
 
"We have been working for this since January," Meek added, "the goal has been set out for us and that is to win the Big South."
 
Up Next:
High Point will play in the Big South Championships on Sunday November 24 at 4:00 p.m. against the winner of Winthrop (2) and Presbyterian (6).
 
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