Tigerville, SC – The North Greenville Trailblazers bounced back from an opening-set loss, winning three straight sets to defeat the Crusaders of Belmont Abbey College 3-1 this evening at Hayes Gymnasium. The Crusaders took the opening set 25-21 before NGU responded with victories of 25-16, 25-17 and 25-20. The win improved North Greenville to 7-7 overall and 3-3 in conference play, while Belmont Abbey fell to 8-5 overall and 3-3 in the league.
North Greenville and Belmont Abbey were evenly matched offensively in the opening set, with both teams recording 13 kills. NGU hit .195 compared to .175 for the Crusaders, but Belmont Abbey came away with the 25-21 victory to take an early lead in the match.
The Trailblazers responded by controlling the second set. Belmont Abbey was held to six kills while committing eight attack errors, finishing the frame with a -.065 hitting percentage. North Greenville took advantage and evened the match with a 25-16 victory.
NGU's offense then caught fire in the third. The Trailblazers put down 16 kills with only three errors on 30 attempts for a .433 hitting percentage, their best offensive set of the night. Belmont Abbey hit .265 in the frame, but North Greenville pulled away for a 25-17 win and a 2-1 advantage in the match.
North Greenville closed out the victory with another solid performance in the fourth set. The Trailblazers recorded 12 kills and four errors while hitting .205, holding Belmont Abbey to a .150 percentage. NGU took the set 25-20 to complete the 3-1 victory.
Samantha Ball led the North Greenville attack with 12 kills and added 17 digs for a double-double. Anna Fiddelke posted 11 kills and just one error on 18 attempts, finishing with a .556 hitting percentage along with five block assists. Peyton Taylor added 11 kills on a .250 hitting percentage, nine digs, two service aces and two solo blocks.
The Trailblazers will head to Wilson, North Carolina to take on the Bulldogs of Barton College on Saturday, September 26th.
