By Carolina Garcia, Staff Writer
The Armstrong State University volleyball team started the weekend off on Friday, Sept. 26, against Columbus State. The Pirates shut down Columbus State in a 3-1 win.
The bottom-hitting team in Columbus took the first set against the top-hitting team in Armstrong with a set of 22-25.
The Pirates quickly answered back, winning the second set 25-16. Armstrong set the pace with 15 kills and two errors in 23 attacks, tying up the match with one set for both teams. Columbus State lost momentum in the third set with 12 errors and 11 kills. Meanwhile, the Pirates clenched the third set with four blocks and three service aces to take the set 25-16.
The fourth set ended the match with a Pirate win 25-16 and four service aces, resulting in a season high of 13 aces.
Senior Stephanie Sfara was hitting .300 with 14 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore Rachel Thompson hit .368 with four blocks and 10 kills, while Senior Kamryn Sherman clenched 41 assists, four blocks, and six services aces. Senior Morgan Hill contributed 12 digs.
“We get a little more cohesive as a team each match,” Sherman said, “We hold each other to a really high standard so I think that’s helping us push forward and get better every day.”
Erika Gelzinyte led Columbus State with 12 digs and 14 kills; Megan Frame notched 10 kills, and Kylie Beaubein added nine kills. Ivana Kazic had 39 assists while Caitlyn Merritt added 10 digs.
The Pirates extend their current regular season league winning streak to 31, while Columbus is still on the search for their first win in the 2014 season. The Pirates faced Montevallo on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at home.
Armstrong, one of the three last unbeaten teams in the PBC, took on another undefeated team on Saturday. The Pirates defeated the Montevallo Falcons 3-0 with set scores of 25-15, 25-15, and 25-18. The Pirates are now one of two undefeated teams in the PBC, leaving USC Aiken as the other unbeaten team. With this win, the Pirates further extended their current regular season winning streak to 32, dating back to 2012, the second longest in PBC volleyball history.
The Pirates led the first set with 16 kills and two errors in 34 attacks, and took the second set with only two errors. They clenched the match in the third set by hitting .364, defeating the Falcons.
Sophomore Emily Wylie had 10 kills and only one error in 19 attacks while hitting .474. Senior Stephanie Sfara, Sophomore Rachel Thompson, and Sophomore Anna McGee each had nine kills. Senior Kamryn Sherman added 37 assists while Sfara had 12 digs.
The Pirates travel to UNC Pembroke in Pembroke, North Carolina on Wednesday Oct. 1, to take on the Braves at 7 p.m. for a Peach Belt Conference contest.
