Box Score Due West, S.C. – #1W Erskine dismissed #4E Barton 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-10) in the quarterfinals of the Conference Carolinas Championship Tournament to advance to the semi-final round against Belmont Abbey, who defeated King College 3-0.  Erskine improves to 16-12 overall while Barton’s season ends at 9-18 overall.

Trailing 24-20 in the 1^st set, Erskine fought off four consecutive game points to win 26-24.  The Fleet kept the momentum to easily win the next two sets 25-21 and 25-10. 

Barton took the first significant lead of the opening set at 18-15 on a kill by Meredith Watkins.  After exchanging points, Barton’s Kati Wood knocked down back-to-back kills to give the Bulldogs their first shot at game point.  Erskine rallied for six unanswered points to steal the first set 26-24.  Following a Bulldog attack error, sophomore Caitlin Bullock (Lexington, SC, White Knoll High School)blasted a kill to pull Erskine within two.  On the next point, Bullock teamed up with senior Alicia Bragg (Rock Hill, SC, Rock Hill High School) for a block followed by back-to-back kills by Bragg to give the Fleet their first lead since leading 10-8.  Senior Liz Massey (Greenville, SC, Eastside High School) closed out the set with a service ace.

With the next set tied 7-7, the Fleet used an 8-3 run to grab the lead then held off the Bulldogs to win the second set 25-21. FreshmanKelly Sullivan (Wellington, FL, Wellington Community High School) and junior Anna Butrym (West Columbia, SC, White Knoll High School) sparked the Fleet’s run with two kills and a service ace respectively.  The Bulldogs twice pulled within a point on kills by Melissa Cochran, who had 6 of her team-high 11 kills in the set, but the Fleet prevailed 25-21.

Erskine dominated the third and final set.  The Fleet scored the first five points and at one point led by as many as 13 points.  Erskine won the set going away 25-10, holding Barton to just 6 kills in the set.

Erskine’s Bullock led all-attackers with 16 kills to go along with 10 digs and 2 blocks.  Bragg made the most of her opportunities knocking down 7 kills on just 13 attempts with no attack errors.  On the back row, senior Brooke Dodge (Duncan, SC, Byrnes High School) had a game-high 15 digs.

In addition to her 11 kills, Cochran also had a game-high 3 blocks while Amanda Grandy earned a “double-double” from her setter position with 19 assists and a team-high 12 digs.

Erskine hosts Belmont Abbey this Wednesday, November 14^th, at 6:30 p.m.  Admission is free to all home Erskine volleyball matches.