Rock Hill, S.C. – Behind career days from Ashton Gregory, Christen Sikora and Meg DeMaar, Furman volleyball downed South Carolina, 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 21-25, 25-21, 17-15), on Saturday morning in the third game of the Carolina Challenge, held at Winthrop's Winthrop Coliseum.

Gregory put down a 21 kills, tying a career-high set last year against the Gamecocks. She led the Paladins with a .326 hitting percentage and added five blocks. True freshman Christen Sikora tallied 16 kills and 10 digs for her first career double-double, while adding three blocks. Annie Bierman added her third double-double of the season with 11 kills and 16 digs, while Amelia Bohlander was one shy of a career-high tying kills mark with 12. Jo Wilks dished out 59 assists with 16 digs for her first double-double of the season, while Meg DeMaar added a career-high 32 digs.

The teams traded points early in set one, before Furman used an 8-1 run to take a 10-4 lead. The teams continued to trade points until South Carolina cut the lead to two at 14-12, forcing a Furman timeout. The teams again traded points until the Paladins stretched their lead to three at 21-18, prompting a South Carolina timeout. The Paladins were able to hold on to their lead, never letting the Gamecocks closer than three, taking set one, 25-21.

Set two was another tight one from the get go, as the teams went back and forth until Furman took a 12-11 advantage, leading to a South Carolina timeout. The teams continued to trade points until the Paladins stretched their lead to two at 19-17, causing South Carolina to take their second timeout of the set. The teams again traded points until it was the Gamecocks who eventually outlasted the Paladins, 25-22, tying the match at one.

The Gamecocks took an early lead at 12-7 in set three, prompting Furman's first timeout of the set. The teams traded points, but the Paladins couldn't get any closer than two, as South Carolina took set three 25-21, to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The teams traded points in set four, before South Carolina took an 11-10 lead. The teams traded points until South Carolina took a four point lead at 20-16, prompting a Furman timeout. The Paladins clawed back to tie the set at 20, then finished the set on a 5-1 run, taking set four 25-21, and forcing a fifth set for the second-straight match.

The Paladins came out of the gate with all the momentum in the fifth set, taking a 6-2 lead, forcing a South Carolina timeout. The Gamecocks battled back to cut the Paladin lead to one at 8-7, then the teams traded points until Furman took their final timeout of the day. With the score tied at 15, Furman used consecutive kills from Ashton Gregory to take set five, 17-15, and down the Gamecocks, 3-2.

Furman is back in action this afternoon at 4:30 as they take on Clemson in the Paladins' final match of the Carolina Challenge.