NEWARK, Del. --- College of Charleston volleyball fell behind 1-0 Saturday but showed poise and grit taking the next three sets to turn the match on its head and take a 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-29, 25-23) decision at CAA rival Delaware on Saturday.
 
Charleston and Delaware both had balanced attacks on the day with six athletes finishing the day in double figures in kills, but the Charleston defense rose to the occasion time-and-again to flip the script and take a road CAA win. Delaware hit .333 in the opening set and took it 25-22, that was short-lived as the Charleston backline and block held the high-powered Blue Hens to .150-or-lower in the final three games for a .168 final mark.
 
The Cougars stood tall at the net too blocking 12 Delaware attempts led by a career-best 6 from Cailyn Bolser in the middle. She was one of six Cougars with multiple blocks on the day while adding four timely kills on eight swings.
 
Charleston's offense was led by the trio of Sopheea Mink (13), Anna Smith (12) and Lexi Wierzbicki (11) Saturday while Sofie Vogel added nine kills of her own and Morgan Cobb had six. Mink hit a blazing .480 for the second time in as many matches for the Cougar attack that finished the day at .241.
 
Delaware was led by Savannah Seemans' match-high 16 kills and Madelyn Grunza's 15, but 10 service errors and a strong Charleston backline that finished with 71 digs kept the Blue Hens in check down the stretch. CAA Preseason Player of the Year Lani Mason also had 10 kills but the Cougars made it tough forcing eight errors and holding her to just .054 on the attack.
 
QUICK SETS
Final Score: Charleston 3, Delaware 1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-23)
Location: Bob Carpenter Center | Newark, Del.
Records: Charleston (5-11, 2-3 CAA), Delaware (9-4, 2-3 CAA)
 
Critical Point
Deadlocked in a 23-all tie in the fourth set, Anna Smith put down her 12th kill of the match to give the Cougars a 24-23 lead before closing it out in a long rally and forcing a Blue Hen error.
 
Key Cougars

• Sopheea Mink led the Charleston attack for a second-straight match putting down 13 kills and hitting .480 to lead all Saturday. It was her second-straight match hitting exactly .480.
• Tynley Smeltzer led the Charleston backline with 25 digs to extend her run of 20-plus dig efforts in CAA play.
• Emma Appleman got the start at the pivot Saturday and turned-in her 15th career double-double (27 assists, 14 digs), the active leader for Charleston.
• Lexi Wierzbicki also had a double-double Saturday with 11 kills and 10 digs – her fourth of the season.
• Anna Smith had 12 kills, none bigger than her final swing to push Charleston ahead 24-23 in the clinching fourth set. Smith got it done on both ends of the floor adding five blocks – part of a Charleston effort that saw 12 blocks on the day.
• Cailyn Bolser had a career-best defensive performance at the net for Charleston blocking six Blue Hen attempts. She added four kills on eight swings on the offensive end for a .500 day.

Match Notes

• Sopheea Mink hit .480 for the second-straight match, she's the lone Cougar with a pair of .400 performances on the season.
• Emma Appleman became the third Cougar to record a double-double this season. It was her 15th donning the Charleston maroon and gold and second-straight against Delaware after a 23 assist, 11 dig performance last season in the CAA Tournament.
• Charleston blocked 10-plus attempts for the third time in five CAA matches with 12 on the day, their most in a four-set match this season.
• Charleston moved to 5-1 when they win the second set as well as 5-1 when taking the third set.

Up Next
College of Charleston looks for the weekend series sweep Sunday against Delaware in a 1 p.m. match Sunday.