Mercer University
S.C. Upstate
Volleyball Claims Paramount Victory at USC Upstate
11/6/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer volleyball team kept its postseason hopes alive on Tuesday night, sweeping USC Upstate 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-17) in a dominating performance at the G.B. Hodge Center. Freshman Molly Locke paced the Bears with 11 kills while sophomore Caroline Carlton registered a team-high .421 hitting percentage.
The Bears' victory snapped a four-match losing streak and improved the team's record to 10-17 (6-11 A-Sun). USC Upstate dropped its second-straight match and fell to 11-17 (6-10 A-Sun).
Locke's 11 kills were earned on 33 swings with only two errors as the College Grove, Tennessee native posted a .273 hitting percentage. Her efforts also included seven digs and a block assist. Carlton's eight kills came with zero miscues on only 19 attempts. She also tallied three block assists in the winning effort.
Senior Monica Sanchez racked up 35 assists and 11 digs on Tuesday for her ninth double-double of the season. Junior Emily Rochefort notched a match-high 25 digs in the as the Bears held USC Upstate to a .082 team hitting percentage.
At the outset, Mercer jumped all over the Spartans to the tune of a 5-1 lead. The Bears never trailed in the set and ultimately claimed a 25-17 victory. In the second set, the teams split the first eight points before Mercer employed a 3-1 run to take an insurmountable lead. In the third set, Mercer broke away from a 10-10 tie with a 6-1 surge en route to the match victory.
Mercer's team hitting percentage of .282 was the third-highest such total this season.
The Bears return to competitive play with the regular season finale against Kennesaw State on Thursday. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
