Wilmington, N.C. – Freshman Bella Tolone had a match-high 18 kills on Friday afternoon to lead the Furman volleyball team to a season-opening 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20) victory over the North Alabama Lions in its first match of the UNCW Hampton Inn University Classic from Hanover Hall.

Furman improves to 1-0 on the season while North Alabama drops to 0-1 overall.

Tolone, playing in her first collegiate match, led three Paladins in double figures as Neci Harris compiled 17 on .429 hitting and Maya Mrus added 11. Sarah Turner dished out a career-high 39 assists while Ella Abraham added nine. Andrea Aceveda led all players with 19 digs.

Mattrice Harris and Maggie Sullivan had a team-best 10 kills each for the Lions. Camryn Kling contributed a double-double of 34 assists and 10 digs. Katy Floyd tallied a team-high 13 digs and Tatum Fouche posted 10.

Tolone collected six of her 18 kills in the opening set as the Paladins jumped out to an early 9-5 lead. After North Alabama evened the set at 12-12, Furman scored seven of the next 11 points and held a 19-16 lead following a service ace from Abraham. The Lions closed out the set on a 9-3 run for the 25-22 victory after a kill by Anna Katherine Griggs.

Mrus added six kills of her own during the second set on .333 hitting as the Paladins began on a 7-0 run. North Alabama responded with eight of the following 10 points and trailed 9-8. Furman came back with a 10-5 run and took a 19-13 lead when Mrus connected on a kill. The Lions got as close as four, 19-15, after that on Sullivan's kill. The Paladins held North Alabama to just two points the rest of the way. Mrus recorded the last three kills and Aceveda captured the set for Furman, 25-17, with her service ace.

Harris and Tolone combined for 11 of the Paladins' 17 kills in the third set. Furman started on a 6-1 run before the Lions fought back with a 13-8 run of their own to tie the score at 14-14. The score would be tied two more times after that before a Furman attack error gave North Alabama a 20-17 advantage. The Paladins staged a late rally and evened the score at 22-22 after Tolone, Harris and Chandler Parker all registered kills. A Lion service error gave Furman the 25-23 win.

Harris and Tolone again teamed up for 12 kills in the fourth, and final, set with each contributing six. An 8-3 run highlighted the open for the Paladins capped by Mrus' kill to extend their lead to five. North Alabama responded with an 8-2 run and went in front 11-10 on a kill from Kling. Furman would then go on a 12-7 run, with Tolone and Harris combining for seven kills, to go back in front 22-18 when Turner recorded a service ace. The Paladins captured the set several plays later when a service error by the Lions gave them the 25-20 victory and 3-1 match win.

Furman concluded the match hitting .226 as a team while North Alabama had a .211 hitting percentage. The Paladins held a 60-43 advantage in kills and 54-34 in assists.

The match featured 19 ties and 11 lead changes.

Furman faces Wake Forest and host UNCW on Saturday during the final day of the UNCW Hampton Inn University Classic. The Paladins play Wake Forest at 10 a.m. and UNCW at 5:30 p.m.