The Concord University volleyball fell in a tough five-set match against the University of Charleston (28-26, 23-25, 20-25, 25-12, 15-17) Saturday afternoon at Eddie King Gymnasium in Mountain East Conference action.
The first set required that the Mountain Lions (16-13, 5-9 MEC) need 28 points to win the game as CU finished the set by scoring four of the last six points to win. Senior middle hitter Sarah Jones recorded the final two kills in the set.
The Golden Eagles (8-17, 7-8 MEC) edged CU in the second set to even up the match by tallying five of the last eight points of the set. UC jumped out to a 2-1 match advantage by winning the third set after coming back from a 16-12 deficit. However, the Mountain Lions made sure the match would need a fifth set by dominating the fourth set, 25-12. Concord opened up the set by scoring the first 15 points.
In the fifth and decisive set, Concord opened up on a 4-1 lead before Charleston knotted the set at 9-9. The teams continued to jockey for a lead, but couldn’t as the teams remained squared 13-13. However, Charleston won four of the last six points to win the set and match.
For the match, Jones and senior outside hitter Brytni Willis recorded 20 kills each while Jones had four blocks and 20 digs. Willis finished with a team-high 25 digs.
Senior setter Nikki McMillan notched a career-high 36 assists to eclipse the 500 assists mark for the season, the first time in the Manassas, Virginia native’s career she has registered 500 helpers in a season. McMillan also had 18 digs while senior libero Amanda Walker had 23 digs.
The teams combined for 40 ties and 21 lead changes throughout the course of the marathon match that lasted 2:13.