ANDERSON, S.C. -- Behind clutch performances by veteran players and paced by junior Adria Mullaneys team-high 16 kills, the Anderson volleyball team outlasted North Greenville, 3-0 (25-15, 25-23, 29-17), in first-round action of the AU Invitational Friday night at the Abney Athletic Center. "Overall it was a fun match." said Anderson head coach Craig Mosqueda. "North Greenville really played well and it was good to see us rise to the challenge. We had a great crowd tonight and we appreciate the fan support." The Lady Trojans (1-0) jumped out to a quick lead in the opening set, only to see the visitors knot the score at 6-6 in the early going, but with AU junior Jamie Lancaster serving, Anderson grabbed a 10-6 advantage. AU went on to score seven of the next nine points, forcing North Greenville head coach Lauren Axson to call a timeout, but the break didn't slow the Lady Trojan attack and the hosts went on to claim the first set, 25-15. North Greenville (0-1) came out hot in the middle set, scoring the first three points in a frame that proved to be a set of runs by both squads. AU answered the challenge by crawling back, and trailing by three, Mullaney ignited a 4-0 run with a kill and an assist to give Anderson its' first lead at 10-9. But the advantage was short-lived - following a North Greenville timeout, the Crusaders posted a 6-1 run of their own, claiming a 15-11 lead. The Lady Trojans inched back and tied the contest at 19 before NGU again gained a two-point lead before AU scored the final three points of the set, with Jennifer Moffit's service ace closing out the narrow 25-23 win. The third and final set began much like the first, with the home team staking an 11-5 lead, but North Greenville refused to go away and closed the gap to 15-13. The two squads battled on even terms over the next several minutes and with the Lady Trojans holding a 19-16 lead, NGU scored five consecutive points. AU freshman Tiffany Rowe snapped the run with one of her seven kills on the night and the Lady Trojans rallied once again. The score was knotted four more times in the final moments before freshman Shelby Netherton rose up and recorded a block to wrap up the final set, 29-27, for Anderson. "We took advantage of some of [North Greenville's] mistakes in the first set." Mosqueda added. "They made some adjustments in the last two sets and we had some trouble with our ball handling and didn't execute as well." Anderson placed Mullaney and Lancaster in double digit kills and freshman setter Lindsay Doggett handed out a match-high 33 assists in the AU win. AU has little time to rest, as the Lady Trojans are back on the court quickly, playing host to Virginia State at 10 a.m., then squaring off against Southern Wesleyan at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Abney Athletic Center.