NEWBERRY, S.C. - Despite comebacks in the third and fourth of epic proportions, the Brevard College volleyball team fell in five sets to Newberry in South Atlantic Conference action as the Wolves thwarted Brevard's effort to extend its program record for conference wins in the Division II era.
The Tornados (10-9, 4-8 SAC) fell behind 2-0 as Newberry (10-10, 4-8 SAC) opened up a large lead to take the first set win before coming from behind to win the second set by a count of 25-23.
In the most improbable of wins, however, the Tornados fought back from a 22-14 deficit to avoid a sweep and push the match to a fourth set. Newberry dominated much of the third set after the Tornados lost a 22-19 lead in the second set in deflating fashion. The Tornados were unable to get in sync until the final stages.
But after a Newberry blocking error gave Rachel Ruble a kill, Kindle Kirkham stepped back to serve for Brevard with the Tornados trailing 22-15. She would serve for nine consecutive points as the Tornados reached set point at 24-22. The run included three kills and a block from Rachel Ruble, a kill and a block from Hannah Elmore, and a Kirkham ace as the Tornados sapped the energy from the gym and flipped the momentum in their favor.
Alexus Horton staved off the Tornados for a point with a kill to cut Brevard's lead to one, but Rachel Ruble ended the set with a thunderous kill to set off a wild celebration along the Brevard bench.
Newberry appeared to rebound in the fourth set, opening up a four-point lead on an 8-1 run that included kills from four different Wolves and made the score 11-7. With an identical 22-15 score, Brevard scored nine of the next 10 points to make the score 24-23. Newberry again scored once to break the run and tie the score, but kills by Savannah Cox and Aleksandra Vrvilo gave Brevard a 26-24 win and sent the match to a decisive fifth set.
The Wolves dominated the final frame, hitting an errorless .438 en route to a 15-5 win that sealed the match. Newberry hit .201 for the match, outhitting the Tornados by exactly 100 percentage points.
Before the 2014 campaign, Brevard's most successful season in SAC play was its 3-13 mark in the 2008, its first year as full SAC and Division II members. But the Tornados are 4-8 on the young season one match beyond the halfway point of the conference slate, and as the seventh-place team in the standings are in line for a conference tournament bid.
Brevard fell 25-19 the first set. After a Fatima Gharachorloo kill brought the Tornados to within a point at 17-16, Newberry embarked on a 7-2 run that was sparked by a Lauren Prachar kill. Four of Newberry's seven points in the span were scored off of Brevard errors. After a Newberry service error cut the Wolves' lead to five, Amanda Soper ended the set on a kill.
The Wolves trailed 22-19 in the second set after Brevard had scored six of the previous seven points, but Newberry scored four of its final six points on blocks, including assisted blocks by Amanda Soper and Rachel Moran on both of the set's final two points, to take an improbable 25-23 win.
Ruble led the Tornados with 18 kills, while Elmore also reached double figures with 10. Erin Barr had a double-double with 38 assists and 13 digs, while Aleksandra Vrvilo had a match-high 20 digs.
The Tornados next take to the court on Friday night as Brevard plays host to No. 8 Wingate, which won its 49th consecutive conference match with tonight's sweep of Queens. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Featured image courtesy of Evan Nicely, Newberry Athletic Communications
