GREENSBORO, N.C. - Elizabeth Aylward had a double-double with her 14-kill, 10-dig performance, but East Tennessee State University's volleyball team fell 3-2 at UNC Greensboro on Tuesday.
East Tennessee State (9-14, 7-5 SoCon) took a 9-5 lead at the beginning of the first set with a kill by
Elizabeth Aylward and a UNC Greensboro (16-7, 9-3 SoCon) error. The Spartans responded with a 5-0 run to take a 10-9 lead. Both teams traded shots; however, UNCG began to pull away from the Bucs with a 4-0 run, which gave them a 18-14 lead. The Buccaneers would get as close as 19-16 with a kill by Aylward assisted by
Alex Kreutzmann, but a 6-2 Spartan run ended the first set, giving them the 25-18 first-set win.
ETSU took a 13-7 lead on UNCG to open the second frame, forcing an UNCG timeout. The Buccaneers continued to extend their lead out of the timeout as a kill by
Chloe Smith and
Makayla Bays gave them an 18-9 lead. The Spartans would get as close as 22-15 with a kill by Connore' Siler-Nixon, but a UNCG error and kill and an ace by Aylward would end the set with the Bucs taking the 15-16 win.
UNCG controlled the majority of the third set until a 6-0 run by the Bucs allowed them to take a 19-17 lead with a service ace by Aylward and consecutive kills by Bays. The Spartans took the next three points of the set to lead 20-19. A kill by
Sophie Davis tied the set at 20, but the teams traded points and were tied again at 23 from a kill by Bays. ETSU took a 24-23 lead from a block by Aylward and
Gianna Blair to force a UNCG timeout. A block by Blair and Smith ended the set with the Bucs taking the 25-23 fourth-set win.
The Bucs started the fifth set quickly with a 7-4 lead from a block by Blair and Smith. UNCG tied the set at 7, but the Bucs took back their lead with a kill by
Phoenix Fogel and a Spartan error. UNCG battled back to take an 11-9 lead, but a kill by Aylward and a block from Fogel and Davis tied the set again at 11. The Spartans went on a 4-1 run to end the set and take the 15-12 win for the 3-2 match.
The Bucs are back in action this Friday at Tennessee Tech at 7 p.m. (ET).
Match points
