HIGH POINT, N.C. – For the first time since 2006, UNC Asheville volleyball is championship-bound. The Bulldogs delivered a resilient five-set victory over Winthrop (16–25, 25–21, 22–25, 25–22, 15–12) on Saturday afternoon inside the Millis Center to advance to Sunday's Big South Championship match.
Asheville (12–17) overcame a challenging opening set before settling into its rhythm behind a dominant blocking presence and clutch late-set execution. The Bulldogs finished with a season-high 16 team blocks, led by Baylor Herlehy (eight blocks), Albertine van der Goot (six), and Kimberly Czepukaitis (six). With the Bulldogs' 16 team blocks, Asheville now holds the Big South record for most blocks in a semifinal match. Offensively, Kylie Cackovic paced Asheville with 16 kills, while Ana Djurovic added 13, and van der Goot contributed eight on an efficient .231 hitting. Setter Payton Rolfsen dished out a season-high 37 assists, and libero Michelle Thao anchored the defense with 15 digs. Cackovic, Djurovic, and Rolfsen all recorded double-doubles with 11, 12, and 10 digs, respectively. Also contributing on defense was Izzy Perkins with eight digs. Asheville recorded just three aces, but all three helped shift the momentum for the Bulldogs.
BOX SCORE
Set 1 – Winthrop 25, Asheville 16
It was a close opening to the first set with three ties and two lead changes, but a kill from Big South Player of the Year Avery Jolley sparked a 4-0 run by Winthrop. The Eagles extended their lead with an 8-2 run midway through the set, and Asheville was unable to string together momentum.
Set 2 – Asheville 25, Winthrop 21
The Eagles carried their momentum over to the second frame as Winthrop jumped out to a 10-6 lead. A timeout by Asheville proved to be an effective one, as a kill from Avery Loeback out of the break sparked a 7-1 run that put the Bulldogs ahead 13-11. The two teams would exchange blows over the next several rallies, until back-to-back Winthrop errors helped Asheville move ahead 17-16. The Bulldogs held the lead for the remainder of the set with Djurovic delivering the set-winning kill to even the match 1-1.
Set 3 – Winthrop 25, Asheville 22
The tightest set of the match featured seven ties and four lead changes. Winthrop jumped out to a 15-12 lead before the Bulldogs tied the score at 16 following a block from Williams. An attack error and an ace from Schwieger put Asheville ahead 18-16. The Bulldogs extended their lead out 21-18 following a Cackovic kill, but a timeout from Winthrop proved to be effective as the Eagles closed the set out on a 7-1 run to take a 2-1 match advantage.
Set 4 – Asheville 25, Winthrop 22
Facing elimination, the Bulldogs played their most complete set of the match. A service error followed by back-to-back blocks from Cackovic and Herlehy and a kill from Djurovic put Asheville ahead 4-0. The Bulldogs held the lead up until Winthrop rallied to tie the set at 17–17, but Asheville answered with a 4–1 spurt, sparked by a kill from Djurovic. The Bulldogs remained ahead for the remainder of the set, and a kill from Williams clinched the set-winning point to force a deciding fifth.
Set 5 – Asheville 15, Winthrop 12
With a championship berth on the line, Asheville delivered in the biggest moments. The Bulldogs jumped ahead 4-1 following a kill from van der Goot, two Winthrop attack errors, and a kill from Cackovic. The Eagles called a timeout, but out of the break, Djurovic connected for a kill, followed by a Winthrop error to put Asheville ahead 6-1. Asheville remained out front for the rest of the set, despite Winthrop cutting the Bulldogs' lead down to one three separate times. With Asheville ahead 13-12, van der Goot slammed a kill and delivered the final blow with a block to seal Asheville's first championship appearance since 2006.
UP NEXT
Asheville will compete for the Big South Conference Championship tomorrow (Sunday), against High Point at 4 p.m. in the Millis Athletic Center.