Box Score

ELON, N.C. – After falling to UNCG earlier this season in a tight five-set match, the Elon volleyball team returned the favor with a thrilling 3-2 (25-12, 25-27, 22-25, 25-14, 15-13) win tonight, Nov. 11, in Alumni Gym. The Phoenix improves to 18-13 (6-9 SoCon), while the Spartans fall to 15-16 (7-8 SoCon).
 
 “I’m really proud of the girls for pulling out the victory in a must win match against a talented UNCG team,” said Elon head coach Mary Tendler. “We set the tone early in the first set and finished strong in the final two sets. It was a great team effort tonight.”
 
Senior Caroline Lemke and freshman Chanelle Smith each recorded 16 kills to lead the Phoenix. Junior Celia Rose Eddy and freshman Danielle Smith also earned double-digit kills with 10 each. Senior Megan McMahon set the offense with a total of 49 assists.
 
On defense, Eddy and senior Traci Stewart each earned three blocks. Junior Ali Deatsch recorded 14 digs, while C. Smith earned double-double with 13 digs to go along with her 16 kills.
 
In the first set, Elon jumped out to a strong 8-0 lead off two kills by both Eddy and C. Smith. Up by six, 10-4, the Phoenix scored seven unanswered, which included back-to-back kills by sophomore Cali Estes, for a 13-point lead. Elon extended its advantage to 16 after a three-point run that moved the score to 23-7. The Spartans attempted a comeback, scoring five of the next six points to pull within 12. A kill by Eddy would stop UNCG and win the set for the maroon and gold, 25-12.
 
The second set went back and forth with the score tied every other point until Elon took a two-point advantage, 10-8, off a kill by C. Smith. With the Phoenix holding a three-point lead, 16-13, the Spartans went on a four-point run to take a 17-16 advantage. UNCG would go on to win the tight set, 27-25, to tie the match going into the break.
 
At the beginning of the third set, kills by Lemke, C. Smith and freshman Kris Harris helped Elon to an 8-4 lead. The Spartans put together four unanswered points to tie the set at eight-all, forcing the Phoenix to call its first timeout. The points would fall back and forth for the remainder of the set until a kill by the Spartans’ Karrian Chambers put UNCG up 23-22. The Spartans won the final two points for a 25-22 third-set victory.
 
The fourth set started in favor of the Spartans, 4-3, before a four-point run put the Phoenix up by three, 7-4. After UNCG cut the Elon lead to two, 12-10, the maroon and gold put together an impressive 11-point run off three kills by Lemke, one by Stewart and two aces from Deatsch for a 23-10 lead. The Spartans were not able to rally from that large of a deficit as a kill by McMahon sent the match into a deciding fifth set with a 25-14 win.
 
A kill by Eddy helped the Phoenix jump out to a three-point lead, 6-3, early in the fifth set. The Spartans answered with three straight to tie it at six-all, forcing an Elon timeout. With the set still tied, 7-7, three straight attack errors by UNCG put the Phoenix back up by three, 10-7. The Spartans would stop the Phoenix at set point three times, pulling within one, 14-13, until a kill by D. Smith clinched the set, 15-13, and the match win.
 
Elon will close out the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 13, in Alumni Gym with a 2 p.m. match against The Citadel. The team’s four seniors will be honored prior to the match for their contributions to the program over the last four seasons.