CHARLESTON, S.C. --- Junior
Lexi Wierzbicki put down a career- and match-high 18 kills,
Claire Campbell hit over .500 with a contest-best six blocks and freshman
Anna Smith added 10 kills to pace College of Charleston to a 3-1 win over Hofstra in Colonial Athletic Association play on Sunday afternoon in TD Arena.
With the win, Charleston (13-8, 6-4 CAA) extends its winning streak to three matches and marks the Cougars' first season sweep of Hofstra (11-10, 5-5 CAA) since 2017. The Cougars won the match by scores of 25-22, 21-25, 25-17 and 25-23 while combining for 50 kills, 75 digs, 15 blocks and a .213 hitting percentage. Charleston limited Hofstra to 43 kills, eight blocks and a .108 attacking clip.
Critical Point
With the score knotted at 9-9 in the third set, Smith and
Sofie Vogel teamed up for the Cougars' first of three blocks in the frame to kick-start a 10-3 run that put Charleston in front, 19-12. The Cougars would go on to win the set, 25-17, and survive a late push from Hofstra in set four to close out the victory.
Key Cougars
- Wierzbicki delivered another game-changing performance with a match- and career-high 19 kills on 44 swings. The junior outside hitter also added five blocks and four digs while hitting .318.
- Campbell set a new career-best with three solo blocks – all in the first set – as part of a contest-best six stuffs. She also accounted for eight kills and a .583 hitting percentage.
- Smith returned to form with 10 kills, a .310 hitting percentage and a personal-best four blocks.
- Gabi Bailey chipped in seven kills, 11 digs and a match-high three aces.
- Rebeca Olariu paced the back row with 19 digs including nine in the fourth set.
Game Notes
- The Cougars held a conference opponent to a hitting percentage under .180 for the sixth time since the beginning of league play.
- Freshman Emma Appleman recorded a double-double with 21 assists and 15 digs; fellow rookie Jasmin Goei contributed 18 assists and six digs.
- Charleston's offense connected for 15 kills and a .316 hitting percentage in the decisive fourth frame.
- Wierzbicki accounted for 12 of her match-high 19 kills in the first and fourth sets.
Up Next
The Cougars return to the court on Saturday, October 23 in the opening match of a weekend series against Delaware in Newark, Del. First serve is slated for 11:00 a.m.