BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College Tornados Volleyball team (3-7, 3-3 SAC) fell by a final of 3-1 to the Newberry Wolves (5-8, 2-3 SAC) Friday evening from Boshamer Gymnasium, despite a noteworthy performance by senior middle hitter Savannah Cox (Kannapolis, N.C.) who ended the evening with 11 kills and a game high .300 hitting percentage.
Cox would lead the Tornados offense on the night, while also racking up four blocking assists and one solo block in the match. Freshman Callie Chappell (Rosman, N.C.) ended the South Atlantic Conference showdown with 10 kills of her own to go along with 11 digs, while middle hitter Stephanie Lambert (Florence, Ky.) turned in a solid performance with nine kills, two service aces and two blocking assists to go along with .227 hitting percentage for the match.
Junior setter Erin Barr (Hamptonville, N.C.) finished the event with 28 assists and seven digs, while also contributing two blocking assists at the net for the Tornados. Senior libero Aleksandra Vrvilo (Beaverton, Ore.) chipped in a game high 23 digs, while Chappell and juniors Bri Vargas (Maryville, Tenn.) and Maggie Weiss (Clemmons, N.C.) also scooped up double digit digs on the evening.
Newberry would open the evening with a 25-21 first set victory as the Wolves controlled the majoity of the opening point, as the Tornados would battle back to within three of Newberry at 23-20 before an attack error by Lambert and a kill by Newberry's Logan Hayward would give the Wolves a 1-0 advantage.
The Tornados would even the match at 1-1 following the second set as the two squads would battle to a 14-14 tie, before Brevard would rally off an 11-5 run to take the second frame 25-19. Brevard's 11-5 run would be aided by a pair of service aces by Lambert backed by kills from Vrvilo, Cox and Chappell.
Following a 10-minute intermission, both squads would open the third set of the evening, battling point for point all the way up to a 19-19 standstill before the Wolves would capitalize on two Brevard attack errors and four consecutive kills to take a 25-20 set point.
Brevard would jump out early in the four set of the evening, opening a 14-7 lead, before the Wolves would claw their way back into the match to even the frame at 18-18. Newberry would end the evening on a 7-3 run to take the set 25-21 and the 3-1 win.
The Tornados will look to get back over the .500 mark in conference play tomorrow afternoon, as they host the Anderson Trojans at 2 p.m. for the final of a two game conference home stand.
