By: by Jason Hanes
Box Score
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Asjia Stokes had a match-high 19 kills, while Callie Churchwell pounded home 11 with a .643 attack percentage to lift Kennesaw State to a 3-1 (20-25, 26-24, 25-21, 27-25) win over USC Upstate in an Atlantic Sun Conference match Saturday night. The win gives the Owls seven on the season, a new program record.
"Callie Churchwell was the difference in the match for us," said KSU head coach Karen Weatherington. "She stepped up and was blocking almost everything hit near her. It's very encouraging to know that if one player doesn't play well for us, we have other players that can step up and perform very well."
After dropping the first set, the Owls had to fight what Coach Weatherington described as, "a young and fiery," USC Upstate squad to pull out the next three sets. The Owls trailed the second set 23-21 until a 5-1 run gave the visitors the victory in the frame. Back-to-back kills by Chelsey Denesha and Churchwell tied the score, and the two teamed for a block one rally later to give the Owls the lead. The Spartans tied the set with a kill, but a kill by Stokes and an ace by Denesha on set point let the Owls swipe the second set, 26-24.
The Owls led set three 18-16 until a kill by Stokes and a pair of successful attacks by Churchwell gave the Owls a 21-16 lead and set Upstate into a timeout. KSU's lead stretched to six after an Upstate attack error off the timeout, and from there, the Owls would coast to the win in the set, 25-21.
In the final set, the Owls fought off three set points for Upstate before finally taking the match. Trailing 24-22, a Stokes kill and an Upstate error gave KSU a 24-24 tie. Upstate gained a third chance to send the match to a fifth set after a kill by Kelsie Queen, but the Owls - and most especially Stokes - were not to be denied. Stokes earned the kill to tie the set at 25-25, then served consecutive aces to give the Owls a 27-25 win in the set and a 3-1 win in the match.
"Upstate had a very good game plan and they executed very well," said Coach Weatherington. "Any win on the road is a good win, but a road win in conference is especially sweet."
The Owls have never won more than six matches in a season before this campaign. Now, the Owls have won seven of their first eight matches.
"Am I surprised that the team has won seven out of eight? No," Coach Weatherington said. They have made the commitment from the practice court to the match court to the classroom to perform to the best of their abilities. This is a very goal oriented team, and one of those goals was to win seven matches."
The Owls are now off until Friday when they open up a three-match homestand by hosting East Tennessee State Friday evening at 7 p.m. With a 2-0 record in conference, the Owls will now be playing to hold on to a share of first place in the A-Sun.
