BREVARD, N.C. – The Brevard College volleyball team (2-4, 2-1 USAS) fought back from a 2-0 deficit, winning the third set in exciting fashion before eventually falling, 3-1, to LaGrange College (5-1, 4-0 USAS) in a Sunday afternoon conference match at the Boshamer Gymnasium.
Freshman outside hitter Makenna Parkins registered a new career-high, driving home a game-best 14 kills and a .321 attack percentage to pace BC's offensive attack. Senior middle hitter Raley Shirey added 10 kills to the Tornado ledger, while freshman setter/right-side hitter Kaitlyn Pressley added nine kills. Pressley, a first-year student-athlete from Brevard High School, recorded a rare kills/assists/digs triple-double in BC's last conference matchup. The versatile freshman logged 18 assists and eight digs, nearing yet another triple-double performance in Sunday's contest.
Sophomore setter Grace Pukas also flirted with a triple-double in the contest, tallying a team-best 19 assists alongside seven kills and seven assists. Freshman defensive specialist Caitlin Hagarty led all Tornado defenders with 11 digs.
The visiting Panthers were led by a 13-kill performance by Mckenzie Richards, pacing a trio of double-digit kills by LaGrange. Kirsten Boyd dished out 36 assists, while Amelia Haddad recorded 19 digs.
The Tornados got off to a 3-1 start in the first set after a Brook Groves kill before the Panthers knotted the score up at 4-4. LaGrange pushed out to a five-point advantage, 12-7, before the Tornados chipped away at the visitors' lead. A Shirey kill tied the score, 19-19, and an ace by the Forsyth County, Georgia native gave BC the lead. Parkins drove home a kill to give BC a 22-20 lead, but the Panthers rallied off three-consecutive scores to retake the lead. With the score tied at 23-23, a Panther kill and a Tornado attack error gave the visitors the set one victory, 25-23.
Brevard scored the first point of the second set on a Parkins kill, proving to be the Tornados' only lead of set number two. The Panthers jumped out to a quick seven-point lead, 13-6, before cruising to the second set win, 25-9.
The Tornados jumped out to an early lead in a highly-competitive third set that saw 11 ties and a pair of lead changes. BC established a pair of three-point leads, 7-4 and 10-7, before the Panthers tied the score up at 10 points apiece.
With Morgan Graham serving following a Groves kill, the Tornados scored five-straight points to accrue a 15-10 advantage. LaGrange was able to tie the contest up four times down the stretch, leaving the score at 23-23 in crunch time. Pressley registered a kill that put Brevard at set point, but the Panthers were able to tie the contest back up at 24-24.
After trading service errors, Shirey drove home a clutch kill followed by a service ace that gave Brevard the set victory, 27-25.
Eight ties and a pair of lead changes highlighted a competitive fourth set that saw the Tornados within just a few points for the duration of the set. With the frame tied at 13-13, the Panthers scored four-consecutive points to establish the edge they would need to take the fourth and deciding set, 25-20.
Brevard will return to conference play on Tuesday when the Tornados travel to Maryville, Tennessee for a contest against Maryville College, scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
To follow the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, follow the Tornados on Twitter Instagram @BCTornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados' on YouTube and SoundCloud, and follow 'Brevard College Tornado Athletics' on Facebook. In addition, follow 'brevardcollege' on Flickr for photos from BC events.
-BC-