HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University volleyball team is the 2025 Big South Tournament Champions after sweeping UNC Asheville to complete the three-peat and earn an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Volleyball Tournament. This was the first time since 2018 that the tournament Champion won with a 3-0 sweep.
The Panthers finished the game hitting .385 as a team and out hit the Bulldogs 50-27.
Addison Freeland was named the Tournament MVP after crushing a game-high 13 kills on a .476 hitting percentage with two blocks. Over the course of the tournament, she totaled 19 kills and four blocks.
Remy Catojo and
Brooke Briscoe joined Freeland on the All-Tournament team. Catojo handed out 74 assists in both matches and Briscoe collected 25 digs.
"This is great. You see the work put in through the season and we've been working for this since January. I think to throw a team together and to have them work together as well as they have and everybody to accept their roles, play at a high level and be ready to go is incredible. This might be the first match of the season where we didn't change our lineup. Every match we've faced different challenges and every girl on our team has contributed so it is a really cool feeling to be rewarded with the win."
Site: Millis Center
Score: High Point 3, UNC Asheville 0
Records: High Point (18-9, 12-2), UNC Asheville (13-18, 7-7)
How it Happened:
It was all High Point in the opening two sets. Firing on all cylinders, the Panthers cruised through both sets in record time, beating the Bulldogs 25-12 in set one and 25-13 in set two.
Ryley Boyne heated things up early for HPU with a powerful kill on the outside to make it 9-4.
Maya Bukovcan and Élodie Lalonde made it a six-point game with a double-block on the left pin.
Lalonde gave High Point it's 20th point of the match with a kill right down the middle to make it 20-11. A hit from UNC Asheville made it 20-12 but the Panthers stretched on the 5-0 run with two
Sydney McKay service aces and two Boyne kills. HPU took set one 25-12.
High Point continued its scoring run and went on an 8-0 run to start the second set, led by Freeland with three kills and a block. The Panthers continued to dominate and excelled on a 13-point lead, 17-4 before UNCA called a timeout.
HPU pressed on and took set two, 25-13 with the help of multiple kills from Padilla on the outside.
Through the first two sets, the attack was led by Lalonde and Freeland with six kills apiece.
In the third set, UNC Asheville kept things close and tied the set at nine all. High Point did a good job of staying focused and never let the Bulldogs gain an advantage. Bukovcan put down a kill in the middle to make it 13-9.
UNCA brought it back within one point at 16-15. Lalonde and Bukovcan kept the Panthers steady and pushed the lead back up to three, 18-15. The Bulldogs kept HPU within reach and tied the set again at 20 all and 22 all late in the set.
Freeland put High Point back on top and forced a Bulldogs timeout, leading 23-22. The Panthers went up two out of the timeout, but UNCA answered and made it 24-23. Coach Meek called a timeout to settle the team, and the Panthers answered as Freeland placed the ball in the open gap in the last play of the match to give HPU the 25-23 victory.
Extra Stats:
- Lalonde and Freeland combined for 26 kills for the Panthers.
- HPU picked up 58 digs, led by Kea Whillock and Briscoe with 17 and 16 digs respectively.
- McKay served in a team-high three service aces.
UP NEXT:
High Point will await the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, November 30 at 6:00 p.m. to find out who the team will match up with in the first round of the tournament. Follow along with live updates on X (@HPUVB).
#GoHPU
