SALISBURY, N.C. – Anderson saw four players reach double-digit kills for the second straight outing, as the Trojans blanked Catawba, 3-0 (25-9, 25-12, 25-22), in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action, Saturday afternoon at Goodman Gym.

Anderson improved to 14-6 overall and 9-3 in the league with its second straight win and fifth sweep in seven matches. Catawba slipped to 9-9 overall and 6-6 in the conference with its third loss in four decisions.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Senior middle blocker Noelle Knutsen led all players with a dozen kills behind a .429 hitting percentage and added three block assists. Sophomore Sadie Kluner tallied 11 kills on the strength of a .500 hitting percentage and chipped in a pair of block assists. Senior Regan Duty and sophomore Jaelyn Grimm each posted 10 kills apiece, while combining to hit .410 on the afternoon. Grimm also ripped a career-high four service aces.

Maya Learmonth notched six kills and four kills, with junior Madison Roy handing out 43 assists and coming up with five digs. The trio of freshman Hannah Neff, junior Lindsay McCurley and senior Meghan DeVaux each recorded nine digs apiece, with DeVaux adding three aces of her own.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Behind Kluner's seven kills and .778 hitting percentage, the Trojans were red hot in the opening frame, with a .481 hitting accuracy.

AU never trailed after bolting out to a quick 9-2 advantage and built a double-digit (14-4) cushion on an error by the Indians, and Catawba would get no closer than 11 the rest of the way.

Second Set
The Trojans stayed hot (.441) in the second frame, with Knutsen knocking down six kills, while Duty and Grimm each added four kills apiece.

Leading, 9-6, AU used a 9-2 scoring outburst to turn the three-point lead into a double-figure, 18-8, advantage and went on to take the 13-point win.

Third Set
The Trojans cooled off in the third set, which featured 11 tie scores and neither team was able to build more than a three-point lead.

With the score deadlocked at 19-19, the Indians posted three straight points, but the Trojans refused to fold. Duty ignited the rally with her second kill of the set, then Knutsen and Kluner combined on a block to pull AU within just one. Duty and Knutsen followed with back-to-back kills and the Trojans claimed the sweep on an attack error by the Indians.

ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
The Trojans are hitting .333 over their last two matches.

NOTABLES
• AU improved to 7-0 in three-set matches this season.
• The Trojans and Indians have met just 21 times, all as members of the South Atlantic Conference.
• AU holds a 16-5 advantage in the overall series and has won 15 of the last 17 meetings, including eight straight.
• Grimm has six service aces in the last three matches.
• Duty has knocked down double-digit kills 11 times this season, including a career-high 20 against Mars Hill in late September and has averaged nearly a dozen kills per match over the last three outings.
• Knutsen is ninth in the league with 64 total blocks and has reached double-figure kills seven times this season.
• The Trojans lead the SAC with a .241 hitting percentage.
• Grimm (.341), Duty (.326) and Knutsen (.319) rank first, third and fourth, respectively in the SAC in hitting percentage.
• Kluner has reached double-digit kills nine times, including a career-best 13 against both Tusculum and Mars Hill.
• Grimm has averaged 11 kills per match over the last two matches and has tallied double-digit kills on eight occasions this season.
• Roy has dished out at least 40 assists on 13 occasions, while reaching the 50+ assist plateau six times this season. She set a career-high with 53 assists in back-to-back contests against Newberry and Mars Hill and has posted eight double-doubles this season.
• DeVaux's three aces matched her second-highest total of the season.

UP NEXT
Following a four-day layoff, Anderson will wrap up the road portion of its schedule by traveling to the Volunteer State to square off against Carson-Newman and Lincoln Memorial for the second time in two weeks.