CHARLOTTE -- The UNC Pembroke volleyball team hit .248 from the net and recorded 11 service aces on the way to a 3-1 (21-25, 26-24, 25-11, 25-17) victory over Lees-McRae on Friday evening inside the Harris Performance Gym.
The victory for the Braves (11-15, 8-6) snapped a two-game skid and marked the fifth straight victory against Lees-McRae. The setback for the Bobcats (10-12, 2-9 CC) marks the third straight loss the season.
Lees-McRae hit .301 from the net in the opening set and took an early 11-6 lead after a kill from Clara Duarte. UNC Pembroke put together a 7-2 run to knot the score at 13, the Bobcats pushed their lead out to 18-16 following a UNCP attack error. The Braves were limited to just .140 hitting during the set as LMC closed out the set on a 7-5 advantage and won 25-21.
The host got a quick start again in the second set and used a kill from Patrycia Rykala to lead 10-6. UNCP put together an 11-4 surge capped off with a kill from Precious Daley to gain an 18-14 advantage, but Lees-McRae would chip away at its deficit, 21-20 with a kill from Destiny Holley. The Braves scored the next three points to position them with set point, but the Bobcats tied the score up at 24 before UNCP won the final two points of the set to win 26-24.
UNCP hit a match-best .400 from the net in the third set and used a kill from Daley to lead 10-9. Sydney Stigler tied the score at 10 apiece with a kill, but the Braves went on a 15-1 run to close the set at 25-11.
A McKenna Hayes kill gave UNC Pembroke an 11-7 lead in the fourth set. The Bobcats capitalized on a UNCP service error to trail 13-10, but the Braves padded their lead, 17-10, with four straight points. UNC Pembroke hit .281 from the net and outscored Lees-McRae 8-7 to win 25-17 and close out the match.
Abby Peduzzi had 13 kills, five assists, 12 digs and two blocks for UNCP, Daley had 10 kills and three blocks, Hayes had nine kills and four aces, Tyler Patterson had 41 assists and three aces, Savannah Whaley had 15 digs, Anaya Carter had nine digs and two aces and Ruby Countryman had seven blocks.
The Braves will be back in action on Saturday when they take on King in Bristol, Tenn. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. inside the Student Center Complex.