Volleyball

VB: C-USA QF: (6) USM 3, (3) RICE 2

*Updated after each of Friday's four matches*

Championship Bracket
C-USA Volleyball Championship Central

Match 2: (6) Southern Miss 3, (3) Rice 2 

Box Score

Down 2-1, (6) Southern Miss avenged a 3-2 loss to (3) Rice in last season's C-USA Volleyball Championship Semifinals, and completed the comeback bid with a five-set thriller over the Owls in Friday's quarterfinals. 

Rice took advantage of three Southern Miss attack errors and burst in on a 5-0 run to open the match. The Owls swung an efficient .423 in the frame while keeping the Golden Eagles at a .061 pace, leading to a 25-20 victory for Rice. The second set had smaller room for error until Southern Miss spread the deficit, 16-11 on six consecutive points, including four kills. With the match set at 24-all, the Golden Eagles made the final push on a Rice attack error and kill by Sarah Bell. Kylie Grandy led the 31-kill effort with 10 of her own in the frame.

Rice committed an offensive error out of the break, but sharpened up to hold the lead the remainder of the way for a steady 25-19 victory in the third. Southern Miss then fought to stay alive and force a fifth set. The Golden Eagles shut down the Owls 25-18, slowing Rice's hitting percentage through each set and outkilling their opponent 57-49. 

Southern Miss continued to have the hot hand in the final frame, starting off with a pair of kills and forcing Rice to call a timeout. No team led more than three points as both battled to stay alive in the tournament, until a final trio of kills silenced the Owls 15-10. 

Southern Miss will face (2) WKU in the tournament semifinals 1:30 p.m. CT Saturday at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky. All matches are streamed on CUSA TV with Sunday’s championship broadcasted on ESPN3. 

Match Leaders
Kills: Kylie Grandy (18)
Hitting Percentage: Sarah Bell (.857)
Digs: Natalie Druhan (19)
Assists: Sarah Bell (52)
Blocks: Grace Morgan (5)


Match 1: (2) WKU 3, (7) Charlotte 1

Box Score

(7) Charlotte’s first stint in the Conference USA Volleyball Championship since 2014 was short-lived as it fell to host (2) WKU 3-1 in Friday’s quarterfinals. The Niners, however, will travel home with its first set win over the Lady Toppers since 1988.
 
The Lady Toppers came out firing, hitting .400 as a team to route the Niners 25-14 in an opening frame that closed on a 6-0 WKU run.
 
Charlotte would not go down quietly and battled back to win its first set against WKU 27-25 since 1988. The second set remained close and the 49ers pulled away late 21-20 on four-straight points, including a pair of WKU errors that called for a timeout. The set point was traded before a final Sydney Rowan kill and Yumi Garcia service ace sent the match into the break tied 1-1.
 
WKU came out on top in another tight third set, 25-20 behind a stout defense that held Charlotte to a .129 hitting percentage. Rachel Anderson led the offensive charge with seven kills to bring her total to a match-high 19. The Lady Toppers used that momentum to take the final frame in commanding fashion on three seven-point runs, 25-6. It marked the first time WKU held an opponent to single-digit points in a set this season.
 
WKU will face the winner of (3) Rice and (6) Southern Miss in the tournament semifinals 1:30 p.m. CT Saturday at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky. All matches are streamed on CUSA TV with Sunday’s championship broadcasted on ESPN3. 

 
Match Leaders
Kills: Rachel Anderson (22)
Hitting Percentage: Rachel Anderson (.529)
Digs: Yumi Garcia (17)
Assists: Jessica Lucas (44)
Blocks: Rachel Anderson (5)