TOCCOA FALLS, Ga. (Sept. 5, 2018) – Senior Shayla Smith and sophomore Abby Maxwell led the Truett McConnell University women's volleyball team in a nonconference battle against Toccoa Falls College on Wednesday night. In front of a tough home crowd, the Lady Bears defeated the Eagles in five games for their fourth victory of the season (25-20), (25-22), (22-25), (21-25), (15-7).
SET BY SET
Both teams went head to head from the very beginning trading momentum back and forth throughout the majority of game one. After 14-14, the Lady Bears used a 5-0 run to get out front and eventually fasten their first victory of the evening (25-20). Point 25 was taken on a Smith block.
The Lady Bears went on to dominate in set two outshining the Eagles in the kills column 13-8. Despite the aggressiveness on TMU's part, Toccoa Falls kept up all the way until 12 apiece. The Lady Bears took the lead the rest of the way to claim set two (25-20). Though TMU and Toccoa compiled a total of 15 kills apiece in set three, the Eagles ended up on top to trump a sweep by the Lady Bears (22-25).
The Eagles rallied to also take game three after a tied game at 19-19 (25-21). Nonetheless, TMU came out ready to finish the match in the fifth set earning the first two points of the set and never allowing any kind of lead on Toccoa's part. Jordan Henshaw's kill out of the hands of Maxwell sealed the defeat over the Eagles (15-7).
LEADERS
Smith compiled a total of 19 kills while freshman Bethany Ross followed with 11 and Henshaw with 10. Maxwell led in two categories with a double-double and career high of 51 assists and 15 digs while also adding three kills. Hannah Lee followed with 12 digs while Anna Mumpower tallied 11. For the second match in a row, Madison Curtis and Olivia Beasley led in the blocking categories. Curtis was credited six blocking assists while Beasley had three.
UP NEXT
TMU will be on the road for the weekend first facing Montreat College for their first Appalachian Athletic Conference game on Thursday, Sept. 6, at 6:30 p.m., and then will turn around and face Milligan College and Hiwassee College at Milligan on Saturday, Sept. 8, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
