BLUE HOSE VOLLEYBALL START 2006 CAMPAIGN WITH WIN OVER COLUMBIA COLLEGE
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Presbyterian College’s first-year head volleyball coach Chris Belshe recorded his first victory in his first game as a head coach as the Blue Hose rolled to a 3-0 (30-23, 30-16, 30-17) win over the Fighting Koalas of Columbia College on the first day of action at the Converse College Invitational on Friday afternoon.
In the first game, the Blue Hose (1-0) struggled to get it going as PC’s hitting percentage was only .192 but were able to edge the Fighting Koalas for the win as Columbia posted a negative hitting percentage. However, PC came out strong in the second game, committing only one error in 28 attempts and connecting on 16 kills for an impressive .536 hitting percentage. The Blue Hose continued their strong play in the third and final game as PC hit .444 and held the Koalas to a negative hitting percentage once again.
Freshman
Julie Hollrah
(pictured) (Glenwood, Md.) led the Blue Hose and
all players with 10 kills and eight digs, while preseason
All-SAC selection, junior
Lauren Mason (Peachtree City, Ga.)
contributed seven kills and five digs. The reigning SAC
Freshman of the Year, sophomore
Rachel Lewis (Bloomington,
Ill.) dished out 22 assists and senior
Danielle Gill (Kings
Mountain, N.C.) served up six aces. As a team, PC combined
for nine blocks and 14 service aces.
Donee Taylor led Columbia (0-2) as she tallied nine digs and eight kills, while Brittany Strickland handed out 13 assists.
The Blue Hose will need to bring their “A” game tomorrow as PC wraps up tournament play against an athletic and scrappy North Carolina Central University squad at 9:00 am and then take on in-state rival USC Upstate at 11:15 am. Last season, the Spartans took PC to five games on October 4 at home with the Blue Hose coming out on top, 3-2.