CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Lindsay Walch was one of three Paladins to have double digit kills Saturday afternoon as the Furman volleyball team rallied back for a 3-2 (23-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-17, 17-15) victory over the Ohio Bobcats on the final day of the Charlotte Invitational from Charlotte's Halton Arena.
Furman wraps up non-conference play improving to 9-3 on the season. With the loss, Ohio drops to 2-10 overall.
Walch led three Paladins with 10 or more kills in the five-set triumph, Furman's second of the season, after finishing with a career high 19 on .421 hitting while adding three digs, two service aces, and one block.
Tennyson Gorman contributed 14 kills on .440 hitting and tied for the team lead with three blocks.
Ashley Stein provided 11 kills.
Emily Navarro compiled her team leading fifth double-double of the year with 26 assists and 12 digs.
Quinn Morrissey dished out 25 assists. Defensively,
Kennedy Seekford had a match high 28 digs.
Bailey Blair paced the Bobcats with a double-double of 23 kills and 13 digs. Bryn Janke also tallied a double-double on 47 assists and 14 digs. Kendall Hickey matched Janke with 14 digs.
The Paladins recorded a .375 hitting percentage in the opening set led by Walch's five kills on .714 hitting. Morrissey and Navarro both had six assists, and Seekford totaled seven digs. Furman trailed 15-10 midway before outscoring Ohio 13-7 and took a 23-22 lead when Walch connected on a kill. The Bobcats scored three straight points after that to claim the 25-23 win.
The Paladins added a .405 clip offensively in the second set highlighted by six more kills from Walch on .600 hitting. Navarro collected nine digs and Seekford seven digs. The teams traded the first 28 points before Furman used a 9-3 run to break the set open and went in front 23-17 following Gorman's kill. Walch secured the 25-19 triumph with her service ace.
In the third set, the Paladins tallied a .231 hitting percentage with Walch recording five kills, Navarro six assists, and Seekford eight digs. Ohio built a 17-11 lead midway in the frame before Furman cut its deficit down to 20-17 when
Izzy Castelloe registered a kill. The Bobcats closed out the set on a 5-1 run for the 25-18 victory.
The Paladins limited Ohio to just .036 hitting in the fourth set while posting a .259 mark led by Gorman's six kills. Morrissey had seven assists, and Seekford and
Lauren Haynes both tallied three digs. Furman raced out to an early 13-3 lead when a Bobcat attack error push the lead to 10. Ohio would get to within six points midway before
Grainne McGrath built a nine-point advantage for the Paladins when her kill put the score at 24-15. Furman won the set two plays later off a Bobcat attack error.
The fifth, and final, set went into extra points with Haynes (4), Gorman (2), and Walch (2) combining for eight of the Paladins' nine kills. Morrissey and Navarro both had four assists, and Seekford poured in three digs. Furman fell behind 8-4 to start but responded with four straight points to tie the score at 8-8 off an Ohio attack error. Gorman later put the Paladins at match point leading 14-13 after her kill. The teams exchanged the next four points before another Bobcat attack error gave Furman the 17-15 set win and 3-2 match victory.
The Paladins concluded the match hitting over .300 for the third time this season, finishing at .308. Both teams had 76 digs and seven blocks.
Furman opens Southern Conference play next Thursday, September 25 traveling to Greensboro, N.C., for a 6 p.m. first serve against UNC Greensboro.
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