Elon University Athletics

ELON – The Elon volleyball team battled College of Charleston throughout Sunday's match but fell to the Cougars in straight sets, 3-0 (21-25, 21-25, 24-26), at Schar Center.
 
Cameron Lanier paced the Phoenix (3-9, 0-2 CAA) offense with a match-high 17 kills on a .256 hitting percentage, matching her season high set against App State on Sept. 8. The senior also added two service aces and nine digs to finish with a season-best 19.0 points. Her 17 kills were one shy of her career high of 18, set against UNCW last season.
 
Caroline Berlekamp and Catherine Rucker added six kills apiece, with Rucker hitting .455 on 11 swings. Allie Schultz chipped in five kills. April Rice directed the Phoenix offense with a season-high 22 assists, while Kayla Palmer added 14.
 
Defensively, Casey Brower finished with a team-high 11 digs and added two service aces, matching her season high in the latter category. Elon finished the match with six service aces and four total team blocks.
 
Charleston (10-2, 2-0 CAA) was led by Gabby Tuiaana with 11 kills, while Caroline Noonan added 10. Julie Nzambele finished with eight kills, and Helena Vukovic recorded a match-high 31 assists along with four service aces. The Cougars hit .229 as a team and recorded nine total blocks.
 
THE RUNDOWN

• Charleston took an 11-7 lead in the opening set, but the Phoenix responded with four of the next five points to pull within one at 12-11. Elon eventually tied the frame at 13-all on a Lanier service ace before the teams traded points through a 17-all tie. The Phoenix then scored consecutive points behind a Lanier kill and Brower service ace to take a 19-17 advantage and force a Charleston timeout. The Cougars answered with three straight points to regain the lead, 20-19, before Elon tied the set at 20-all. Charleston responded with four unanswered points to reach set point at 24-20. Rucker kept the Phoenix alive with a kill, but the Cougars closed out the frame on the next point for a 25-21 victory.
• The teams traded points throughout the early portion of the second set before Charleston used a 4-1 run to take an 11-8 advantage. Elon battled back to pull within one, 14-13, on a Lanier kill before the Cougars carried a 15-13 lead into the media timeout. The Phoenix then responded, eventually tying the frame at 17-all on an Anna Sewell kill. Rucker followed with a service ace before Sewell and Berlekamp combined on a block as Elon used a 4-0 run to build a 20-17 advantage. Charleston answered, however, scoring eight of the final nine points of the set. The Cougars broke a 21-all tie with four straight points to earn a 25-21 victory.
• Charleston opened the third set with six unanswered points before the Phoenix responded with four straight, highlighted by a pair of Lanier kills, to trim the deficit to 6-4. Elon continued to battle back and eventually tied the frame at 8-all on a block from Schultz and Rucker. After Charleston moved back ahead 11-9, the Phoenix answered with a 6-1 run to take a 15-12 advantage into the media timeout. Elon maintained a three-point cushion at 19-16 following a Rucker kill, but the Cougars responded with four straight points to regain the lead, 20-19. The teams traded points down the stretch before an attack error gave Elon a 22-21 advantage. After Charleston moved ahead 23-22, Lanier delivered consecutive kills to give the Phoenix set point at 24-23. The Cougars fought it off and scored the final three points, however, to earn a 26-24 victory and complete the sweep.

 
UP NEXT

• The Phoenix travels to Hampton for a pair of CAA matches on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 24-25.

 
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