Greenville, S.C. – The Furman volleyball team fell 3-2 (25-11, 20-25, 25-18, 23-25, 13-15) to the UNC Greensboro Spartans in SoCon action Sunday afternoon inside Alley Gymnasium.

Furman drops to 3-4 overall and in the SoCon, while UNCG improves to 1-8 on the season and in league play.

Neci Harris led the Paladins offensively with a match-high 18 kills while Katie Murphy, Maya Mrus and Mikaela Schultz each recorded a double-double. Murphy contributed 49 assists and 12 digs, Mrus a career-high 11 kills and 13 digs, and Schultz 12 kills (tied career-high) and a career-best 20 digs. Courtney Hoffman added 12 kills. Defensively, Andrea Aceveda posted 18 digs and Sarah Turner 14.

Murphy collected her second double-double of the season, while Mrus and Schultz totaled the first of their careers.

Maria Esch registered a double-double of 16 kills and 12 digs to lead the Spartans. Brittany Wood had 11 kills and Hannah Knier contributed 10. Gabriela McHugh dished out 47 assists and Mandy Garvens tallied 26 digs.

Furman, behind the serving of Schultz, opened the first set on a 5-1 run before UNC Greensboro scored the next three points to make the score 5-4. The Paladins then broke the set open courtesy of an 11-1 run and took a 16-5 lead capped by a UNCG attack error. Furman led by as many as 14 points five times in the opening set. Hoffman, Schultz and Harris combined for five kills late to capture the set. Harris' kill gave the Paladins a 25-11 victory.

The teams traded the first 12 points of the second set as the score sat tied at 6-6 following a kill by UNCG's Grey Breen. The Spartans then used a 9-4 run to take their largest lead of the set at 15-10 on Knier's kill. UNC Greensboro maintained its five-point lead late when a Furman ball handling error put the score at 20-15. The Paladins scored four of the next five points and got to within 21-19 late off a kill from Sydney Tanner. Furman would be held to one point the rest of the way as UNCG won the set 25-20.

UNC Greensboro scored five of the first seven points in the third set but the Paladins responded with a 9-4 run to hold an 11-9 advantage after a combination block from Hoffman and Tanner. The Spartans would then take a 14-13 lead when McHugh connected on a kill. Furman answered back with a 10-2 run, highlighted by six consecutive points, midway and extended its lead out to 23-16 off a UNCG attack error. Schultz's kill gave the Paladins the 25-18 victory.

The Spartans jumped out to an early 8-5 lead during the fourth set when Knier and McHugh teamed up for a block. After Furman came back to even the score at 10-10, UNCG scored five of the next seven points to hold a 15-12 lead. The Paladins answered back to tie the score at 16-16 off a UNC Greensboro attack error. The Spartans followed with an 8-3 run and sat at set point, 24-19, after a Furman attack error. The Paladins fought back with four straight points and trailed 24-23 on Schultz's kill. UNCG won the set 25-23 on the following play.

Harris gave Furman a 4-3 lead to start the fifth, and final, set with her kill and Schultz added another kill two plays later to give it a 5-4 advantage. The Spartans would score three consecutive points to go ahead 7-5. The Paladins stayed within two points for a majority of the set before scoring two straight to tie the score at 13-13 on a UNCG service error and Hoffman kill. UNC Greensboro scored the final two points to win the set 15-13 and capture the 3-2 match victory.

Furman concluded the match with a .230 hitting percentage while holding the advantage in digs (89-76) and blocks (5.0-4.0).

The Paladins and Spartans conclude their two-match series Monday evening at 6 p.m.