Box Score 2015 Southern Conference Volleyball Champions Video / SoCon Highlights Video
Cullowhee, N.C. – Behind 54 kills and a .303 hitting percentage, two-seeded Furman downed one-seeded Chattanooga, 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 27-25) to win the Southern Conference Volleyball Championship Monday night inside Western Carolina's Ramsey Center. The win moves Furman to 21-8 on the season and ends Chattanooga's season at 26-6. With the win, Furman earned the Southern Conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship.
Southern Conference Player of the Year Annie Bierman led Furman with 16 kills and 14 digs, marking her 20th double-double of the season and moving her into Furman's 1,000 Kills/1,000 Digs club. Bierman is the first player to reach the 1,000/1,000 milestone since current assistant Natalie Braun from 2009-2012. Amelia Bohlander also put down 10 kills, while setter and tournament MVP Jo Wilks dished out 39 assists, adding 10 digs and a team-high four blocks. Wilks was joined on the All-Tournament team by Bierman and sophomore libero Meg DeMaar.
Chattanooga was led by Allie Davenport with 17 kills, while Lauren Gainer added a match-high five blocks.
Furman carried all the momentum early in the first set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and forcing Chattanooga to call its first timeout. Out of the timeout, the teams traded points until Furman used a kill by Jamila Johnson and a Chattanooga error to double-up the Mocs, 14-7, prompting Chattanooga to call its final timeout of the set. The teams then traded points until Chattanooga ran off three-straight to cut the Furman lead to four at 16-12. Furman used a 6-0 run to take a 23-14 lead, then grabbed its first set point at 24-15. Chattanooga held off the Furman victory at 24-16, but a kill by Carris Campbell ended the threat and gave Furman the set one win, 25-16.
The teams traded points to open the second set, until, with the score tied at 8, Furman used a quick 3-0 run to force Chattanooga to call its first timeout. Out of the timeout, the Mocs used a 4-0 run of their own to regain the lead at 12-11. The teams again traded points until Furman used another 3-0 run to take a 17-14 lead, prompting the Mocs to call their final timeout of the set. Furman pushed the lead to five out of the timeout, then the teams traded points until Chattanooga used another 3-0 run to cut the lead to three at 23-20. A kill by Carris Campbell and a Chattanooga attack error held off the Mocs' rally and gave Furman a 25-20 set two win and 2-0 match lead.
Furman and Chattanooga again traded points to open the third set, until back-to-back Furman points gave Furman an 11-9 lead. The Mocs then used a quick 4-0 run to open their largest lead of the set at 13-11. The teams traded points, until Furman rallied to tie the set at 14 on Bierman's 1,000th career kill. Chattanooga then used a 3-0 run to take a 17-14 lead, prompting Furman to call its first timeout of the set. Out of the timeout, the teams traded 3-0 runs, allowing Chattanooga to grab a 20-17 lead. Furman cut the lead to one at 20-19, but the Mocs used back-to-back points to push the lead back to three at 22-19 and force the Paladins to take their final timeout of the set.
The Paladins used another 3-0 run to tie the set at 22, but Chattanooga used back-to-back points to grab set point at 24-22. Furman again rallied to tie the set at 24, but the Mocs again grabbed set point at 25-24. Furman then used two-straight points to grab match point at 26-25 and force Chattanooga to take a timeout. Out of the timeout, Furman used a block by Wilks and Campbell to tie the set and a Chattanooga attack error to take the 27-25 third set victory and 3-0 championship win.
Furman earns the Southern Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA championship and will find out its opponent during Sunday night's NCAA selection show.
Chandler Carver, Sports Information
