ROCK HILL, S.C. – Fresh off earning the first Top 25 ranking in program history in the AVCA Coaches Poll, Anderson volleyball (28-3, 21-1 SAC) entered the South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Tournament as the No. 1 seed and faced No. 8 seed Catawba College (14-13, 10-12 SAC) in the quarterfinals. The Trojans battled through four sets to secure the victory and advance to the SAC semifinals.
Sophomore Mikaylah Hedlund (Fountain Inn, S.C.) opened the match with back-to-back kills to give Anderson an early lead. The Trojans maintained their advantage throughout the opening set to claim a 25-17 win. Catawba responded in the second, taking control to even the match with a 25-16 victory. The third set featured several momentum swings before Anderson closed on a 5-1 run to take a 25-19 win. The Trojans carried that momentum into the fourth, pulling away to secure the match with a 25-18 victory.
Hedlund led the Trojans with 17 kills, adding nine digs and a block assist. Senior Karley Black (Leander, Texas) contributed 13 kills, while senior Emily Campbell (Statesville, N.C.) added 12 kills and led the team with a .385 hitting percentage.
Senior Ellie Nieporte (Boca Raton, Fla.) recorded 55 assists and nine digs. Sophomore Jamie Juhnevicz (Taylors, S.C.) paced the defensive effort with 16 digs, followed by sophomore Kaleigh Garren (Anderson, S.C.) with 11. Campbell and junior Maura Kindel (Easley, S.C.) each recorded two block assists.
"Today's match felt a lot like the last time we played them," said head coach Todd Hay. "The team that was the most consistent from the service line and serve receive won the first two sets. Our defense, though, really rose to the occasion in set three, which gave us more confidence going forward. The team felt good about how we finished the match and we hope to take this momentum into the semifinals tomorrow."
Anderson advances to the SAC semifinals, where the Trojans will face the winner of Lincoln Memorial and Wingate on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 4 p.m.
