FLORENCE — Newberry volleyball improved to 4-2 on the season after winning both contests at the Francis Marion Invitational.
The day began with Newberry going five sets to win 3-2 against Belmont Abbey (3-3).
The tone of the game was set from the first serve as both teams battled to take control of the first set. Neither team led by more than two points halfway through the set with Newberry maintaining a 12-10 lead. Momentum continued to shift with the set being tied a total of nine times. The Wolves were able to pull away late in the set going on a 6-3 run to win 25-20.
Both teams continued to battle with the lead swinging between Newberry and Belmont Abbey early in the second set. Belmont Abbey led 17-15 when the Wolves went on the attack with a 10-1 run to win the set 25-18.
Newberry failed to capitalize on a strong 2-0 start and dropped the next two sets 27-25 and 25-17, tying the game 2-2 going into the fifth set.
The Wolves showed their resilience after tying the game 3-3 in the final set. Back-to-back kills by Sidra Triplett and Toni-Anne Whitlow sparked an 8-6 run that sealed Newberry’s third win of the season.
Triplett led the team with 10 kills, her fourth recording double-digit kills. Taylor Garrison had a team-high 20 attacks while Kensley Jordan and Mary Siebert had a combined 37 digs.
Newberry took the court for its second game of the day and swept Converse (1-7) 3-0.
The Wolves controlled the game from the start with a quick 14-7 start, forcing Converse to call a timeout. Newberry never relented and a kill from Alexis Bryant gave the team a 25-15 win and a 1-0 advantage.
A 12-3 run to start the second set kept the momentum with the Wolves. Newberry was able to easily secure the 25-14 win, putting them ahead 2-0.
Finishing strong continued to be an issue for the Wolves as Converse made it a back-and-forth match in the final set. The Wolves were able to take control and win the set 25-21 to secure their second victory of the day.
Maggie Marsh and Taylor Garrison both had double-digit assists while Sidra Triplett had a team-high eight kills.