Spartanburg, S.C. - Career-high stat lines for senior libero Anna Becker (McLean, Ill.) and freshman setter Kelli Carneal (Fredericksburg, Va.) were not enough to bring the Stetson volleyball team (1-14, 0-8 Atlantic Sun) its first conference win of the season Friday evening as the Hatters fell 25-20, 23-25, 25-15, 25-16 at USC Upstate (5-12, 1-7 A-Sun). Becker recorded a career-best 16 digs while Carneal slammed a career-high 13 kills to go along with 24 assists and eight digs.
After dropping the first set, Stetson used an early 8-0 run in the second set (fueled by Spartan attack errors) to take an 11-3 advantage it would not relinquish. USC Upstate rallied back to within one point several times late in the set but could not tie it up as sophomore outside hitter Kaylee Ream (Venice, Fla.) finished the stanza off with a kill.
It was all Spartans following the intermission, however, as Stetson's calling card of poor attack percentage came into play. The Hatters hit -.030 in the third set and .097 in the fourth set in two lopsided losses. USC Upstate out-hit Stetson .195 to .087 in the match and out-killed the Hatters 57-40.
Junior outside hitter Stephanie Canfield (Panama City, Fla.) notched 10 digs, four digs and three blocks to aid Carneal's dynamic offensive efforts. The rookie's 13 kills came with just one attack error for a .462 hitting percentage; Carneal also had three blocks and an ace on the night. Sophomore middle blocker Sam Freeman (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) hit .400 with five kills while senior middle blocker Laura Boyd (La Crescenta, Calif.) had six kills and seven blocks. Career highs in digs were also reached by freshman defensive specialist Monique Russell (Phoenix, Ariz.) and sophomore middle blocker Sam Stonish (Stony Brook, N.Y.) with 10 and nine, respectively.
Katie Downey and Kelsie Queen had 13 kills each to lead USC Upstate to victory with Paige Weiland contributing a 14-dig, 11-kill double-double. Spartan co-setters Morgan Bucciferro (22 assists, 10 digs) and Emily Sanders (25 assists, 12 digs) each reached double-double status. Megan Healey added 10 digs with Erin Jacobsen contributing nine kills and five blocks.
The Hatters are off for nearly a week until hosting A-Sun rival Kennesaw State at the Edmunds Center Thursday, October 8. Hatter Vision with Bill Topping and Live Stats are both available for the match, which begins at 7 p.m.
