NCCU Box Score
Winthrop Box Score

ELON, N.C. –  In the final day of the Elon Phoenix Classic, the Elon volleyball team split its two matches to finish 2-1 in the tournament. The Phoenix defeated North Carolina Central, 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-14, 25-19), early in the day but fell to Winthrop, 3-1 (14-25, 25-16, 22-25, 20-25), in the nightcap. Elon is now 11-4 on the season.
 
“It was nice to play at home this weekend in Alumni Gym,” said head Elon coach Mary Tendler. “It seemed like we faced a lot of adversity in both matches today. We were trying to come back from some pretty big deficits and spent a lot of energy trying to make comebacks. We need to start out sets and matches a little stronger, but I was happy by the effort by all the layers today. We look forward to starting conference play next weekend at UNCG.”
 
Freshmen Chanelle Smith and Kris Harris were the story of the day for the Phoenix. Smith finished with double-doubles in both matches recording a total of 23 kills and 20 digs. Harris tallied 19 kills and 10 blocks on the day.
 
In the first set, Elon jumped out to an early 5-1 lead before NCCU came back to tie it at eight-all. After kill by Smith put the Phoenix up 10-9, a four-point run by the Eagles gave them a three-point advantage, 13-10. The set would remain close with the maroon and gold holding the upper hand until a kill by Smith and an ace by junior Ali Deatsch put Elon up by three, 21-18. NCCU rallied to tie the set at 22-all, but the Phoenix went on to win three of the final four points to take the first-set win, 25-23.
 
The Eagles controlled the second set from the beginning, gaining as much as an eight-point lead, 17-9. Down 21-13, a kill by sophomore Cali Estes spurred four unanswered points by the Phoenix, cutting the deficit to four, 21-17. However, the Eagles’ lead was too much for Elon to overcome as NCCU tied the match at one set apiece with a 25-21 win.
 
Up 11-9 in the third, the maroon and gold used a 9-3 run, which included a block by Harris and senior Traci Stewart and kills by senior Caroline Lemke and Stewart to take a 20-12 lead. After an Eagle timeout, kills by junior Carly Ledbetter, Smith and Harris put the Phoenix back up by a set with a 25-14 win.
 
Elon used kills by Smith and Harris and an ace by Smith to take an early 6-1 lead in the fourth set. The Eagles came back to tie the set at eight-all before a Ledbetter kill put the Phoenix back up by only one. With a three-point advantage, 16-13, Elon scored three straight off a kill by Lemke, a block by Lemke and Ledbetter and a kill by senior Megan McMahon to increase its lead to six, 19-13. The set would end 25-19 in favor of the maroon and gold and give Elon a 3-1 match victory.
 
Smith recorded the third double-double of her young career with 12 kills and 10 digs. Harris also showed Elon’s young talent with eight kills and a career-high seven blocks.
 
In the first set against Winthrop, kills by Smith and Harris kept the Eagles’ lead to one, 4-3. After a Winthrop run increased the visitor’s lead to 14-5, the Phoenix had the chance to rebound off an Eagle miscue but was not able to come back. Winthrop went on to win the first set, 25-14.
 
The Phoenix used its frustration from the first set to take an early 4-1 lead in the second set off kills from Lemke, Ledbetter and Stewart. The Eagles would pull within one, 9-8, but Elon won four of the next five points to increase its advantage to four, 13-9. Kills from Smith and Harris capped a three-point run that moved the score to 19-13. With the set at 20-15, the maroon and gold went on a 5-1 run, capped by a kill from Harris, to win the set, 25-16, and tie the match at one-all.
 
The Eagles jumped out to the lead in the third set, 10-5, forcing Elon to call an early timeout. Winthrop continued to build on its lead, taking as much as a six-point advantage, 17-11. However, the Phoenix began to whittle away at Winthrop’s lead pulling within one, 18-17, off a kill from Ledbetter. A 5-2 run, courtesy of two kills by McMahon and a block by Harris and McMahon, gave Elon its first solid lead of the set, 22-20. But the Eagles would end the set with five unanswered points to take the win, 25-22.
 
Winthrop took a 6-1 lead to start the fourth set, before kills by Smith and Harris and several Eagle miscues put the Phoenix within two, 9-7. A five-point run helped the Eagles extend their advantage to seven, 16-9, and all but seal the match. A kill by Harris later in the set moved Elon to within four, 22-18, but three of the last five points went Winthrop’s way and gave the Eagles the set, 25-20, and the match.
 
Smith and Harris both recorded 11 kills, while 10 digs gave Smith her second double-double of the day. Lemke tallied 10 blocks and four blocks to make a strong impression on both sides of the net. Deatsch led all players with 17 digs.
 
Both Harris and Ledbetter were named to the all-tournament team at the conclusion of the tournament.
 
The Elon volleyball team will begin Southern Conference play on Friday, Sept. 23, at UNCG at 6 p.m.