BREVARD, N.C. - Freshman outside hitter Ashley Hoxit registered a career-high 19 kills and 15 digs for a double-double, while sophomore right-side hitter Kaitlyn Pressley secured a near-triple-double effort of nine kills, 21 assists, and 15 digs as the Brevard College volleyball team (2-9, 1-0 USAS) kicked off USA South Conference play with a convincing 3-1 victory over Piedmont University (0-9, 0-1 USAS) on Wednesday evening.
Hoxit, a native of nearby Balsam Grove, North Carolina, turned in a career performance to help the Tornados to victory in the first USA South match of the season with her 19-kill, 15-dig performance. Pressley's near triple-double effort was paired with Bailey Lance, who logged a game-high 28 digs. Makenna Parkins tallied 12 kills, while Logan Priddy dished out 22 assists to lead all Tornados.
Piedmont was paced by Jenna Ash's 16 kills, while Vanessa Manzo and Ciera Phelps each logged 21 assists. Taylor Herrmann led the Lion defense with 18 digs.
BC's offense as a team came alive in the third set, driving home a match-high 16 kills with a .308 hitting percentage. Following a 25-18 defeat in the first set, the Tornados stormed back with victories in the second (25-20) and third (25-22) sets before clinching the match outright, 25-20, in set number four.
Both sides played tight through the first 20 points of the first set before Piedmont took a four-point lead, 15-11. The Tornados managed to cut back into the deficit, but the Lions were able to pull away. With the score tied 18-18, Piedmont scored the set's next seven points, capping off the first set with an Ash kill that handed the Lions a 25-18 set victory.
BC jumped out to the early set two lead before using a 9-1 scoring stretch in the middle of the set capped by a Morgan Graham service ace to take an 18-9 advantage. A Hoxit kill followed by a Lion attacking error wrapped up the set in favor of the Tornados, 25-20.
The third set featured an early Piedmont surge, as the Lions took a 10-5 lead. A pair of Hoxit kills paired with a Pressley and Melanie Hoyle kill tied things up at 10 apiece, as the competitive stanza raged on. Piedmont held a late lead, 18-15, before the Tornados were able to storm back, as Parkins drove home the set-point kill that gave BC a 2-1 match lead.
Brevard came out firing in the fourth set, jumping out to an 8-2 advantage after several Lion attacking errors. Hoyle drove her sixth kill of the evening home before two Piedmont attacking errors sealed the contest in favor of Brevard, as BC won the fourth set 25-20 to wrap up the conference victory.
USA South play rolls on this weekend as the Tornados play host to a USA South tri-match at the Boshamer Gymnasium. Brevard will face Huntingdon College at 10 a.m. before taking on Berea College at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
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-